Zombie - RRB
by Cobwebbs
Summary: Zombie AU that nobody wants. The world has ended and is over run by Zombies. Three young boys live all alone in a broken down office building basement. Then they get a message. Maybe they aren't the earths only survivors after all.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N) This is an au that has literally nothing to do with anything. Seriously. I just couldn't get black leather fingerless gloves out of my head and this random thing was born.**

 **Don't ask.**

 **My thought process is weird.**

 **On the other hand - Zombie apocalypse AU? UM - Fun? Probably...**

 **Enjoy?**

 **Motivation is your Superpower - unless you don't like this than . . . yah.**

* * *

 _There used to be a city here. But looking at the fallen husks of what once was there, you'd never know it._

 _Giant pillars of mans achievements, just crumpled broken bits and chunks strew about a cracked, dry and barren crater that used to be home to thousands. Now?_

 _There were only a few tens . . . most don't know there are others besides themselves._

 _A young boy - perhaps around the age of fourteen or so, he was one of the unlucky children who were present for the beginning - he can't remember before though, he doesn't remember fun and fresh air, and school and parks and games and families and friends. He only knows this. The past is more a dream than anything and that is fading too._

 _He's here though - adapted, like he was meant to be in this time. Like there never was a better time. Young, blond and blue._

 _He's out here, he shouldn't be, but in order to survive he needs to be out here. He walks, naturally silent and swift, picking his way through rubble and underneath collided concrete that fell into a cavern shape. A plastic bag held tight in his grip, fingers white underneath black fingerless gloves, his blue hoodie getting a little small for his growing, although under average, body._

 _He needs to get back. The red sun was setting, the haze was crawling in like a turtle - it's almost soothing as it calmly covers everything in grey and blurriness. But he knows better - that calm was what happens before the storm._

 _Before **they** come out - to haunt, to feed, to scavenge... And he needs his brain thank you._

 _He climbs up a cracked piece of asphalt that used to be a street, but now blocked, with the help of other huge chunks of buildings, the other side of the city - the slightly less infested side. The side where he and his only companions lived, survived. Whatever._

 _He crawls - than the ' **screetch screetch'** sound of dry skin scrubbing against broken debris startles him stiff, half way up the climb. He does the dumbest thing he could and turns to glance behind him._

 _A hideous twisted, dripping face moans back at him, mouth toothless and grey, what used to be it's tongue just a chewed up mesh of dead flesh and his one eye that seems to work is glowing a cracked yellow._

 _His heart's in his throat. The boy refrains from screaming - that draws them in, and scrabbles up the wall as hard as he can, his fingertips cold and scrapped of skin now. It almost - almost gets his ankle._

 _He throws himself, in one last unthinking movement, over the wall, misses the foothold and goes tumbling down the harsh surface with a yelp and cry of pain until he lands in a shuddering heap at the bottom._

 _He, unwisely, throws another glance up at the rim of the wall. His heart the only sound for miles - he waits, cold sweat pooling down his neck, he half expects it to make it over the wall - they never do but . . . but this one **might**._

 _Half a minute or an hour later- he doesn't know . . . but it doesn't make it._

 _He lets out a wheezy breath and scrambles to his feet, his black boots scrapped, his face hurts. Whatever. He has the bag - his heart is thumping like those - what where they again? Those furry jumping things . . . Bunny! Bunnies . . . yah, there used to be bunnies around here, maybe - he can't really remember. But they were soft and cute and . . . the suns almost down._

 _He needs to go._

 _He grips the bag, thankful for still having his brain inside his skull, and runs for the entrance to their underground makeshift home. It used to be a basement for some company - he heard one of his brothers say that._

 _The last ray of depressing red sunlight disappears just as he slips inside, the cold grey air making him shudder one more time as he closes the heavy door against it._

 _Safe._

* * *

Inside is dark. But his eyes adjust quickly.

"Hey, hey, I'm back!" The blond boy calls out, his maturing voice cracking.

A sudden, startling, blur of black and green shoots past him with a whoop and snatches the bag out of his grip.

"All right! Hey, Brick, Boomer brought lunch. Finally - I was beginning to think a Zombie ate your slow brain or something."

"Give it back Butch! I worked hard on that!" Boomer, smaller build, shorter and as blond as Butch was black, gives the bigger boy an offended look.

"You want it?" Butch needles and waves the canned beef at his brothers face. "Get it." He raises his hand up higher. Boomer growls and jumps for it.

A sealed navy door scrapes open and a tall, elegantly build, red haired boy walks in, eyes trained on a stack of papers in his hand. "Cut it out, Morons." He doesn't even look up as he snatches the can out of Butch's hands much to the other two boys chagrin.

"Show off." Butch snorts and proceeds in digging through the bag again. Boomer lungs for it, misses, and ends up smacking face first into the wall.

Butch promptly burst out in obnoxious laughter.

Brick sighs irritated and slides into a wheelie chair, pushes off with one foot and turns towards a large desk filled with stacks of bleeping computer consoles and radios. Nothing with a screen, just wires attached to heavy old monitors and dials and buttons and things that make Boomer dizzy to look at. Brick on the other hand knows what everything does and he does it every day.

"Buuuutch, cut it out! I almost got eaten on the way here ya know!" He tries the pity card.

Butch rolls his eyes, foot planted firmly in the center of Boomer's chest as he holds him at - legs? - length. "You ain't dead, so stop whining."

Brick blinks up, looking at them now - "You ran into one of them? Now?" He turns towards one of the monitors and taps an old sticky key. "But they shouldn't be out - it's too early and - " He starts muttering in that way he does when he goes into 'hot nerd mode', Butch calls it that. Boomer doesn't know what should be weirder, that Butch called Brick a hot nerd or that Brick accepted it.

Either way -

"Chill out Brick . . . It was probably a straggler." Butch placates as he chews the rubbery meat from a can he pried open.

Boomer shudders, remembering those hollow eyes and how those groans sounded, all husky and brittle and - yuck.

Brick ignores them both and takes a pair of clunky head phones, he pushes one to his ear and reaches for a piece of gross nourishment, clenching the piece of beef between his teeth, he reaches with meaty fingers for a dial that Boomer _thinks_ fixes the static sound Brick is always listening too. What he listens _for_ is anyone's guess.

"Hey, where'd you get these?" Butch asks suddenly, holding up two wrinkly sticks of dried meat.

Boomer makes to snatch them, but the dark haired boy laughs and holds the items out of reach. "C'mon, it was really hard to find thoooose." The blond boy whines and lungs, landing on Butches chest. He straddles the bigger boy and attempts to push him down so his grip loosens.

Butch finds this hilarious. Boomer huff angrily - they always pick on him. Wait - _Butch_ always picks on him, Brick usually ignores him.

Speaking of ignoring. That's exactly what the red head is doing. His crimson eyes glazed over as he glares at nothing, Beef hanging limply between his teeth, fingers rolling the dial between them, back and forth and back and forth.

Suddenly, it's like someone put a _live wire_ on him, that's how fast he shoots up, stick straight, eyes wide as the sun and beef forgotten, half bitten on the desk.

"Holy - "

Butch jumps up and drags Boomer with him, shoving both of them onto Bricks shoulders. "What? What? What's wrong!?"

Brick shakes his head as if trying to dislodge a dream, his eyes narrow and he shrugs his brothers off, reaching for the port where the bulky headphones were plugged into. "Listen to this."

Boomer feels electricity go up his spine - his neck hairs prickle and his arms feel like a hundred small bugs are biting the skin. _What's going on_ -

Brick turns that dial _juuuuuust_ right and -

 _Holy what?_

It blares to life - with static but - but - but there's _something_ else there, something _behind_ the static mess.

"If anyone can hear me - _bzzzt_ \- this message - _bzzzt_ \- to follow the shadows - _bzzzt_ \- safety and may be a way to - _bzzzt_ \- the Zombies - _bzzzt_ \- help - b _zzzt_ \- only hope - _bzzzzt_ \- " It was broken, crackly, faint and the voice is thin and high . . .

Boomer feels like his heart was yanked out, watered and shoved back in. It's overflowing with fear and hope and horror and he doesn't know what the hell to do with himself so he - _cries_.

"Does this mean what I _think_ it means?" Butch whispers, he obviously doesn't know what to do either. He's never quiet.

Brick chews his bottom lip - face taught. "Could be old. The frequency is too broken to tell - but -"

"It's a _possibility_?" Boomer quivers out, dragging a fist across the annoying tears staining his dust covered face.

"Yah." Brick breaths after a tight moment, gloveless fingers tight and white on the desk rim. " _Yah_ -"

"You think?" Butch looks like someone sucker punched him.

Brick turns to them both.

"There might be other people out there. We might not be alone after all."

It sounds like a dream come true.

* * *

 **A/N) Um - I don't think this is going to be more than a one shot.**

 **Unless enough of you care about it. If not - well, thanks for reading this piece at least!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I only got a few reviews for this shot. And all of them requested a continuation. And since life sucks royaly right now - nothing new there - I decided to add another shot. Don't know what this means but I haven't written anything for months. I'm getting rusty. Sigh.**

* * *

" _Briiiiii-iiiick,_ are we there _yeeeeeet?_ We've been walking for _houuuuuurs_." Boomer knows he's being annoying. He knows Brick hates it when he whines, he also knows that the left eye twitching is a good warning for him to stop before Brick actually turns around a mashes his face into the cracked concrete underneath their tired feet.

"Hate to say this Brick, but Boom's got a point, Where the heck _are_ we going again?" Butch says behind the red head as he lumbers with a pack on his back. That's where all their precious food is stored. Boomer still thinks he should be the one to hold it. Not Butch - they'll be lucky if Butch doesn't eat everything before they actually stop to take a breather.

"I told you morons. We're following the signal." Bricks snaps, irritation showing on his fine featured face clearly now as he shakes an old cracking scanner in his gloved hands. His red eyes narrow dangerously as if he wants to burn a hole through the thing with them. "That message had a signal and this scanner will track it, the message had to come from another radio on the same frequency as ours. So we'll stop when we find - "

"Yah but what if it's old and the ones who sent that message are already dead?" Boomer cuts in, pushing his sweaty golden bangs out of his eyes. He needs a haircut - but Brick's the only one he trusts to cut it without killing him. Butch would well - butcher it if he tried. But they broke their last switchblade and Brick keeps the small dagger in his boot, no one's allowed to touch that dagger.

"Hate to agree with Boomer but - yah, what if they're already dead?" Butch says, kicking at a crack, his green eyes downcast at the thought.

Boomer watches Bricks shoulder line go tense and squared. He's already thought of this. Of course he has. Boomer should have known better, Brick is smart - really smart, and he's probably thought of every eventuality already. What surprises Boomer though is that Brick probably knows that the likelihood of the person who sent the message is still alive is very, _very_ slim.

"Why are we looking then?" Boomer finishes his thought out loud and Bricks tenseness gets worse, the scanner crackles in his tightening grip, and they all fall silent, the only sound is the wind making weird hollow sounds as it blows through cracks and caverns of fallen buildings.

Boomer flickers his eyes to Butches face, his older brother is tense too, mouth set in a grim line as he looks forward, eyes glazed over in thought. _Which is bad -_ Butch only thinks when something is desperate.

 _And they are desperate aren't they._

 _Yah_ \- Boomer sighs sadly, they are all desperate. None of them realized the empty dry void of loneliness and fear that they had until they heard that glimmer of hope over the radio. It was like that small broken voice had cracked their dams they've built to be numb to their misery and now - they're desperate.

A low horrifical rattled groan startles them all out of their melancholy silence. Boomer winces as Butch turns around, fighter mode flipped on like a switch.

Brick has the dagger in his hand and they all fall back to back in a triangle formation. The blur that is the sun behind the thick grey smog is low - but - but it's not low enough for Zombie attacks. _Why are they here now?_ What's going on - they still have a few hours before sundown and -

"Something's wrong." Brick's eyes narrow as the creatures - five of them - come closer. "They shouldn't be out here now - this isn't normal behavior."

Boomers heart jumps in his throat as he digs his shoulder blades into his brother's.

"Ya think?" Butch grits, his boots dig into the broken concrete. "What do we do now? These guys could be scouters - we're miles away from shelter and - and there's probably more coming."

Boomer lets out a shaky breath. Brick is silent. _That's never a good sound. They are so dead_.

"Butch you take center, Boomer left - I'll get the two on the right. You know the drill - don't let them get a bite in." Brick orders - and that's not really a good plan but - ok.

"Works for me." Butch grins, that glint he gets in his eyes when he's keyed up shows viciously.

"Of course it works for you, you're not cute and small - you're insane and _bloodthirsty_ and - " Boomer rant is cut off when he screams as a Zombie swings at him faster than expected.

"Woah - " Butch kicks at the ones attacking him. "Did you see that?"

Brick slashes at the Zombie "They've gotten faster."

Boomer gulps, dodges another swipe and locks the grotesque arm of the creature, he twists quickly and hard and the limb cracks brittlely and he yanks it out with a sickening tare of rotting flesh. The blond boy shudders, "They're still breakable."

Butch snorts and kicks a zombie head clear off. "Yup - still breakable."

"Um - guys." Boomer stops breathing.

Brick slashes the last Zombie and turns towards Boomers eyeline. "What's - _oh_."

Butch swallows - "that's - _that's_ a lot of Zombie."

Boomer nods numbly. The shadows morph into moving mounds of undead creatures as they crawl out of them. But there's something different about these ones. They're moving faster - they're climbing over debris almost agile.

"We should run - _yah_?" Boomer knows they should but he's just checking.

"Yah we should run." Brick nods firmly and they all turn tail and run.

The Zombies may have gotten faster but they still can't keep up with them. What's worrying though is that they're so many - and it's almost dark and they have no where to hide tonight and maybe they were better off not following this signal after all.

Boomers head hurts.

* * *

"Owowowowowowowo, _ow_! Hey, easy will you." Boomer groans in pain as Brick yanks at his hair.

"Hold still or you'll end up bald." Brick snaps and continues to butcher his little brothers golden hair.

Boomer sighs. They found a building that's relatively in one piece and hard to get into for a Zombie horde. And why he decided to ask Brick for a haircut now makes no sense but - but they've numbed themselves again and they've gone to falling into this like normal. Zombies almost eating you _is_ normal.

The air is stuffy in here. A place that hasn't seen a living soul in a long while. The moon - or pale opaque disk in the black sky - does little to show their surroundings. Its just black shapes and shadows jutting out everywhere like a great big broken ribs of the skeleton of the city that once was there.

Boomer closes his eyes and tries to listen for sounds. He hears Bricks blade cut his bangs. Some loose rubble rolls down the walls. Then scuffles of boots on the rough ground, fabric scraping against the debris as Butch climbs up and into the broken window.

"Anything?" Brick asks as he absently flicks loose golden strands from Boomers head.

"Naw, coasts clear for now, you alright there Boomer? You're looking a little green." Butch says, eyes flickering over to their youngest brother.

Boomer nods. He's not alright, he feels sick - it's probably the lack of food today.

"Get a grip Boom, we're moving out early tomorrow." Brick pats him on his bare neck and moves to huddle in a corner, crossing his arms over himself to keep warm.

Butch sighs tiredly and joins him in that corner.

Boomer closes his eyes tightly and tries to listen for something again.

Silence.

 _Ok - that could be a good thing._ But he feels funny about this anyway. And cold.

He shakes his head and walks over to his brothers. The only two living people in his life - and as pathetic as it sounds - he couldn't imagine what he'd do if something happened to either of them. This world was dead, and the chance of that signal leading them to something other than more Zombies is nonexistent. They got excited for no reason.

Boomer sighs and slides down the cold wall next to Brick. Whatever does happen though - if there are more people out there or not - he still has his brothers. And it looks like that's how it's going to be until the end.

He curls in towards Bricks warmth and the older boy scowls but throws an arm out across Boomers chest like some kind of blanket, and they all fall asleep without really sleeping.

* * *

Boomer watches that little red dot.

He watches it every time Brick pulls his scanner out. He watches it blink when they're walking. When they're climbing over walls. When they're jumping across giant cracks in the streets. When Brick stops and they smack into his back. When it sputters on the faded screen and - and _disappears_.

All three boys freeze. Neither breathe. It's so quiet Boomer can hear their brains screeching to a shocked halt.

They've been walking for two days, they're sore from it, they're paranoid because of the early Zombie attacks, and they're hungry. And now - they're little fizzle of hope has officially disappeared on that small screen. It's dead. Nothing. The signal is gone. Brick doesn't say anything. Butch doesn't say anything. Boomer feels suddenly like he's kind of dying.

Then the groans sound off.

They turn around.

Zombies, thick swarm of Zombie death.

So many of them.

Boomer gasps and they all step back, they're stuck. A huge wall blocks any way to escape as they press against it.

If they thought they were dead before?

Boomer feels his heart sink into his empty guts. It feels like a rock slipping down thick muddy water. Brick takes out his dagger, he holds it out tightly - Butch grabs a loose rusted metal pipe on the ground and Boomer collects rocks to shoot at these things. Neither boy holds out much hope anymore. They just lost it all anyway. The thought that they were the only beings left on this entire forsaken planet just solidified. Before there was always a small glimmer of hope that maybe they weren't. But now - _now_ \- it's over.

"Let's do this." Butch says through his teeth.

Boomer doesn't know what he means, but he's pretty sure it's nothing good. He swallows thickly and take a firm stance, blue eyes trained on the moving horde. They look hungry with their gapping mouths and the few sharp teeth they have embedded in their greying gums. Most have two eyes, some have an empty socket where their eyes should be and they're just following the sounds of their horde. The stench that rises from so many of them coming forward is nearly enough to kill them.

Here it comes - there's nowhere left to run - no way to get out.

"Nice knowing you guys." Boomer mutters under his breath. Butch snorts and Brick forces a grim smile. _They agree_. There's no way to get out of this one.

Well at least they can die knowing they're was no more hope anyway.

Boomer swallow's again and wonders, not for the first time, what it would have been like if the world had stayed the way it was when he was five. But it hadn't and now they were going to die at the young age of fourteen and it doesn't matter because everyone else is dead too so they might as well -

A Zombie shrieks'.

The boys shudder at the sound. _Zombies can shriek?_

Butch shriek's too when something come shooting through the horde and bounces off the wall next to his shoulder. Brick snatches Butch's shirt and they back up, eyes narrowing to look at the unsettling sight in front of them.

The Zombies are swarming around - around something else. And that something else was shooting loud explosions into the horde. Butch grabs his own arm - the projectile grazed him after all and he's bleeding.

"What the - "

Brick shakes his head. The Zombies are smashing together and then - then Boomer _sees_ it.

A body - a lithe body moving so fast it can't be a Zombie. It's _not_ a Zombie.

His heart jumps right out of his guts and lodges itself in his throat so suddenly he chokes. Butch gasps sharply and Bricks hand around Boomers arm turns to iron.

 _A human being._

A _living_ , _breathing_ , _fighting_ human being is in that horde. Right in front of them. The hope that fizzled and then went out shoots up and Boomers almost ready to cry. Except he's too shocked to do anything right now.

Then the Zombies' do something they've never seen them do before. They retreat. They hobble away with loud rotting groans and - and they were gone.

The air is cold and stiff and suffocating as the boys watch a silhouette stand from a crouched position and start walking towards them, something heavy pointing in their direction. That could be bad.

The silhouette, the person - steps out of the smog and shadow. And Boomer forgets to _breathe_. They all do. It's a human being. A short, pale, dark haired human with the most intense green eyes that narrow dangerously at them in the dark, they almost glow rimmed with thick dark lashes and - and that's when Boomer realizes - this person is not like them, this person - this person is _a - a - a - what were they called again?_

" _Girl_."

Boomer startles as Brick speaks up, seemingly out of his voiceless shock first. His red eyes stay on the person in front of them. _Girl? Yah - yah that was it, Girl, she - her . . . wow_ \- they haven't seen a Girl since . . . since _forever_ ago. Boomer's confused as to why he would forget they're a thing, were a thing.

"Who the heck are you and where did you come from?" She speaks, her voice is gravely and slightly cracking. She holds a heavy black weapon in her hand - Boomer knows what that is, Butch used to have one like it before he lost it in a stupid food raid. _A gun_.

"We - we come from," Brick takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. Boomer wonders if he's going to cry. But then he opens his eyes and he's the master of himself again. "We come from the remains on the other side of the railroad."

The girl stops and widens her eyes, "You're real people? You - _there's more_?" She sounds less threatening now.

Brick shakes his head. "No - just us. Are there - are there more wherever you came from?"

 _Please, please, please -_

"Yah - how many are you?" She says slowly, eyeing all three of them.

"Just us." Brick says for them.

Her lips tighten in a thin line. "Right. Why are you out here for if you don't live here?" _What's she so suspicious about?_

"We - we got a message, on the radio, a signal and we followed it out here, but it died and we thought - " Brick trails off.

They fall silent for a moment.

Then the girl shrugs her gun over her shoulder. "Right. Come on then. Follow me if you wanna live."

Boomer doesn't like the sound of that.

" _What_?" He says out loud accidentally.

She glances at him like he's a insect. There aren't' many of those around except roaches, "I said, _follow me if you wanna live_. It's still early, those Zombies you saw back there, they were just scouters. The real hordes are coming."

Boomer shudders at how she says those words. They follow her. They fall silent - there's this weird electricity zipping through them as they follow behind another human being! _Another living person!_ She said there was _more_ too, Boomer suddenly feels like he could fly like - like those things back in the day, small chirpy - _birds? Birds_! Yah, birds could fly and he wanted to too, the hope that was snatched from them suddenly comes back and it's no longer something they're hoping for - it's fact, real, short girl fact.

And he's pretty sure his brothers feel the same as they climb over left over buildings and wined around metal graveyards and - and towards a wall so big and made out of scrap metal stuck together by rusted nails or fusion.

The girl kicks at the door loudly and then bangs in a pattern. _Rap,rapraprap. Tap, tap. Bang_.

Then the door opens to paradise.

Inside are more people, _hundreds_ of people, men and women, boys and girls and - and - and they're so many and it's unbelievable and Boomer thinks they've _died_ and gone to heaven.

"Well, don't just stand there gawking, Zombies are coming. Get in here." The girl says sternly as she walks in smoothly.

They step inside and the gate smashes closed behind them. And they stop. And they stare.

The noise is magnificent, the words are wonderful, the sounds of unfamiliar voices is heart clenching.

Boomer doesn't even bother touching his cheeks. He knows he's crying.

He swears Brick and Butch are fighting their own tears.

The girl turns around and flashes them a lopsided grin.

"Welcome to Haven."

* * *

 **This was supposed to end way back up there. But it got away from me. I hope it was worth it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N) Wow, surprised people came back. Thanks guys. This might be a one-shot that will get away from me after all. Keep the encoragmnets coming ;)**

 **Motivation is your superpower**

* * *

Boomer felt like he was floating out of his own body for a bit as the green eyed girl stares at they and they stare at all this lively activity around them.

"Uh - hello? You guys still with me here?" She says, waving her hand in front of their slack jawed faces.

Boomer blinks and snaps out of it, so do his brothers and then - the excitement really bites. He can feel it, his brothers are practically _shaking_ next to him, and he feels like screaming himself. Butch is twitching, literally, and Bricks' biting his cheek so hard Boomers sure that he's making it bleed on the inside.

"Ok then - guess you guys _aren't_ normal." The girl mutters, startling Boomer by how close her voice is. He jumps and turns to look at her directly in her scrunched up face. She's scrutinizing them like they're completely nuts. Which they might very well be.

"We're fine -" Brick says suddenly.

Boomer nods vigorously, like his hard head shaking is going to prove Bricks' words. If anything, it makes him look _more_ insane.

Green girl sighs and shakes her own head. "Yah - well, just in case, you'd better come with me."

 _Go with her? Where?_

Maybe they should feel uneasy about this _. But who cares_! Another person was talking to them; they are in the middle of a giant Haven _filled_ with a bunch of crazy weird and unbelievably amazing looking _humans_. There were _so_ many, only a few have stopped to look at him and his brothers. Boomer wonders if they'll accept them. He sure hopes so.

Because if they don't – Boomer's pretty sure living alone _knowing_ other people are alive is worse than the crushing feeling they had of _not_ knowing others live and living alone.

"Where are you taking us now?" Brick speaks up, his eyes training on everything around them. He's taking everything in like he's studying it for later - Brick's making a plan B and a plan C. And probably a plan for every other letter in the alphabet too.

 _Just in case._

Boomer's not sure if he should be thankful for Brick's paranoia or not.

"Infirmary. Gotta get you noobs checked out - make sure you're clean." The girl says, answering Bricks question.

Boomer blinks a couple of times quickly, not understanding what she means when-

"You mean, make sure we aren't infected?" Brick sounds offended. _Uh_ _oh_.

"Yup." Girl doesn't care.

Boomer glances at his red headed brother. Brick looks calm - _ok, maybe he's not going to say anything condescending or worse._

The girl leads them up to a large shack like building, the roof is made out of welded cans and it seems like one strong wind could blow it over.

"Get in." The girl says stiffly as she pulls back the door which is a heavy green tarp.

The boys freeze up instead. _Ok_ , so maybe having other people around might have a down side. They would tell them what to do - and that means . . . more rules to follow and more compromises to make. Boomer's not sure his brothers could _handle_ that. Butch doesn't follow rules, unless Brick threatens him, and Brick doesn't compromise - unless absolutely necessary which has never happened before because nobody has ever been smarter than him.

Maybe compromising won't need to happen after all. But following someone else's orders? _That_ might be stretching it for Brick.

"Get in already, I don't got all day." The girl seems done with them now.

Boomer swallows and goes first. He's used to following instructions.

Brick's face tightens but he does too – then, Boomer glances behind him - Butch lingers, his eyes linger after the girl who walks away now, her part of the job seemingly done. Boomers surprised at the look that crosses his brother's face - curiosity.

A strange sort of concentrated curiosity.

Not the kind Boomer has when he's trying to remember some animal from the past or figure out what Bricks doing with the weird tech he had or -

 _No_ \- this kind of curiosity was new to Boomer and he wonders what it means.

But just as quickly as the expression came it's gone and Butch follows after them too.

Inside is dark, a bit stuffy but definitely dry. It appears that there isn't anyone here.

Then Boomer hears it - It's the most amazing sound he's ever heard in his life. Someone was _humming_ \- and it wasn't him!

It was a nice hum, a quite clear delicate, hum that made him feel very, very comfortable and - and when owner of that hum walks into view he forgets to breathe again - but this time for a complete different reason which he doesn't understand in the slightest.

A short little girl with yellow - Boomer hasn't seen yellow in a long time - hair and big blue eyes - the color of the sky, Boomer forgot that's what color it used to be until he saw it in this girl's face - and a giant smile with a slight gap between her teeth.

He's tingling.

"Hello there," she smiles widely at them and practically floats towards them. _Floats_? _Is that a thing girls can do? The other one hadn't floated - there was nothing floaty about her at all, she stomped and crushed and -and this one . . . floats._

"H-h - hi?" Boomer stutters out loud, not meaning to. He gives her a slight wave.

She beams at him - Boomer's pretty sure that's what the sun used to look like too. "Nice to see new faces, I thought we had found everyone in this side of the sectors."

Boomer doesn't understand what she's saying, he's too busy staring. Butch has lost interest and is now fiddling with a weird pointy tube thing with black liquid inside it and Brick seems to be the only one with speaking capabilities right now.

"I'm sorry, this side of the sectors? What, do you mean there are _other_ places with - with more people?" Brick says, eyes narrowing in question at the sparkly sun girl in front of them.

She nods. "Yah, don't you know - oh" She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. "Oh, oh you _don't_ \- oh my, I'm so sorry, have you been alone this whole time?"

By this whole time, Boomer wonders if she means since the beginning of this nightmare which was like ten years ago.

Brick nods firmly. "Since the beginning. How long has this place been around?"

"Six years, give or take – hey, don't touch that!" The girl squeaks as Butch tips a box open. He drops the lid and throws his hands up in surrender as she swipes for the box and snatches it close to herself.

"Sorry?" He doesn't _sound_ sorry.

Boomer gets mad at him for some reason.

"No - never mind. Anyway, we've been here for a long time, I'm sorry you weren't found until now. But don't worry, once Professor checks you up, I'm sure you'll feel right at home in no time." She says, her face brightening again as if Butch didn't just touch something he wasn't supposed to.

Brick nods.

Boomer suddenly feels worried. "Professor _?" What's that? Would it kill them? Would it eat them? Would it kick them out?_

The girl giggles. "Yah, don't worry though, you'll be fine I'm sure. Just extra precaution and all that stuff I don't understand." She says brightly.

Boomer feels warmed by her assurance.

"Oh!" She snaps her fingers as if she just remembered something. "I'm Bubbles by the way, do you three have names?"

 _Bubbles_? Like- those floaty soap circles? Boomer doesn't remember very well the last time he's seen one. Soap for them was almost impossible to find - when they did it was used sparingly.

It was a nice weird name though.

He opens his mouth to introduce himself realizing he hasn't done that ever - it feels amazingly terrifying.

"I'm - "

"New ones?" A voice cuts them off and the girl - _Bubbles_ \- beams at the new comer.

"Professor!" She chirps and floats to a tall - man, Boomer hasn't felt this small since - a while ago. It was a tall man with a kind face, dark grey eyes and black hair that was greying at the temples, his face has deep line across his forehead and down the sides of his mouth and his clothes look like they've been patched so many times they were _only_ patches.

"Hello there boys. I'm Professer Utonium. Pleased to see there's still life out there after all." He _sounds_ friendly enough. But then how would they know? All they've ever heard are Zombie growls and each other.

They stare at him. Boomer feels kind of worried. Brick looks the man dead in the eyes. And Butch fidgets - like he wants to get out of this space.

The man coughs in the silence. "Well then - let's get you checked out."

Boomers not sure if he likes the sound of that.

* * *

After an hour of being poked and prodded and touched in ways Boomer did _not_ like, the friendly man deemed them clean and, with no small amount of surprise, healthy enough to live here.

Boomer sighs as they make their way aimlessly through the Haven - it feels weird, having other people to look at, people moving around them as they walk. People working, building, talking, laughing - _living_.

It was a horrible time to live but - but they were living with what they had and somehow, surviving didn't seem so bad anymore.

Boomer wishes' they'd found this place sooner.

"Ok - so now what?" It's this first thing Butch has said since they got here.

Brick stops walking, Boomer runs into him, earning a red eye roll, "Let's just scope this place out. I don't think it's dangerous or anything but still - we're outsiders for now. Let's stay under the raider until-"

Brick stops talking. Butch isn't listening anymore. And Boomers dark blue eyes flicker to find out why his loud mouthed brother is so distracted.

It's that green eyed girl. The one that killed so many Zombies all on her own and made them retreat and brought them here and she's - beating people up now?

She's surrounded by several different people, boys and girls, most older then her, all dressed heavy like they're ready to go to war or something. She's in the middle and the look on her face is pure concentration.

Then the group attack. She launches herself at them from her crouched position like a cat and literally _grabs_ an older boy by his shirt and flips him over her shoulder as she pivots on one foot and tosses him at five others. They go rolling backwards. She smirks and dodges, without turning around, another boy who takes a swing at her from behind. She dodges again, the boy's fast, bigger and heavier, she's small and short and - and she takes him _out_ so fast the guy doesn't move from the ground for a solid minute. Everyone else was taken down easier than that.

She stops in the middle of a bunch of groaning individuals and dusts her hand off like she's finished a job well done.

Boomer feels his eyes widen so much they dry up and hurt. "Woooah - " He whispers absently. That girl was - was _feral_. She kicked butt, those Zombies never stood a chance.

"Alright everybody - "A tall man comes into view, he's got long black hair, he's young but older than all the kids there, and he has a straight squared appearance that screams trained, "Nice work, you lasted five second longer than before. Mitch - work on your speed punches - Robin, you aren't fooling anyone with your sneak attacks – Mike, be a little more assertive, a Zombie won't wait for your attack and Buttercup -"

The girl straightens and salutes the tall man. Her face the picture of hardened soldier.

The man grins quickly. "Nice work. A bit too hard core, but very well executed. Just relax a bit will you."

"Yes sir." She salutes again.

The man sighs and chuckles at her, ruffling her messy short dark hair. "At ease, all of you. Go eat something and remember what I said. Dismissed."

And the group of groaning people stand and rub at their sore spots while they make their way to the other side of Haven.

"Not bad Buttercup - you kicked my butt so fast I didn't know what happened." A tall lanky boy says brilliantly, he has freckles staining his nose, and he throws an arm around the dark haired girl.

Boomer finds this interesting. _Friends_ \- they could have _friends_ here? That was - he's pretty sure he had some of those back in the day - he just can't remember their faces or who they were.

"Ok then - we could probably see what that was all about." Brick says flatly, his brain is working "And maybe we should take a look at their defense systems and get our own if we - Butch? Butch, get back here you moron!"

Butch ignores him. Boomers pretty sure he's gonna get it later for that, but the brunet boy doesn't seem to care as he makes his way towards the group and the green eyed girl.

They're laughing about something a soft looking boy with huge blue eyes was saying until Butch walks up to them, then they stop.

"Uh - who're you?" Freckle face says, slightly hostile as his dark eyes narrow at Boomers tougher brother.

Butch seems unfazed, his eyes training hard on the dark haired girl who's looking at him just as hard. "What's your name?" He says suddenly.

She blinks at him. Nobody says anything for a minute. Boomer cringes at the awkwardness - they don't have very good people skill . . . _what_? There were no people to develop these skills with for the past ten years!

The girl looks challenged for a second before she smooth's her face out. "Buttercup."

Butch suddenly grins lopsided. "Butch."

"I didn't ask."

Boomer blinks. Uh oh - she just _challenged_ him. She totally just challenged him - Boomer dares a glance at his green eyed brother and _yup - yup, there it was_. That glint in his eyes he got whenever he starts getting keyed up and - and this girl was the one keying him up.

Brick saw to, he makes to grab Butch by the shirt before he does something stupid, like someone would their – what were they again; four legs, furry, people used to have them walk at the end of ropes – Dogs? Yah, like a pet dog before he attacks a stranger. But he doesn't get there on time.

"Nice moves." Butch says casually. Much _too_ casually as he starts to circle the girl. Boomer shudders - this could be bad. The girl looks as tight as Butch is making him feel. "Mind if I show off some of mine."

"Butch no." Brick says flatly, his eyes narrowing.

"Butch yes." Butch grins and launches himself at the girl with a feral grin. Her friends back up and freak out, unsure if they should help or not. The girl catches Butch by the shoulders and they both go rolling backwards in a freaky full forced two person summersault.

Boomer coughs as they kick up dust and the girl - Buttercup was it? - kicks his brother square in the chest. Butch goes flying back painfully and Buttercups friends settle, though they seem to be taught enough to wait for an opening in case things escalate.

Butch hits a wall. Boomer winces as his head makes a crack sound and goes to see if he's dead. Brick shoots out and arm and pushes him back, his red eyes never leaving their brother as he stands. Brick has this tight - _I'm going to kill him if this doesn't_ \- face. _Oh boy_ \- Butch was in so much trouble.

Boomers kind of excited now.

The green eyed boy stands, sits and wipes at a scratch on his cheek. It's bleeding some and smears on the back of his hand a dark red in contrast to his dusty hand. He grins, sharp and bright. Boomer thinks he's gone a little insane.

"That hurt." Butch says, that wide grin never leaving his face as he comes back, rounding on Buttercup, she's glaring at him - her shocking green eyes narrowing, probably wondering what's wrong with this guy as he comes closer. For a fourteen year old malnourished boy, Butch had mass on him, and this girl was _small_ \- it made him look bigger and . . . kind of scary in Boomers opinion.

But Buttercup-girl doesn't seem to be fazed.

"That _hurt_." Butch repeats then settles into a fighting stance, arm outstretched and beckons his fingers forward in a ' _come on'_ motion, grin never dropping off his face. "Do it again."

Boomer thinks she'll call him crazy and leave.

She launches herself at him instead.

 _Woah_ \- Boomers eyes widen as he takes in the fight. Brick sat down on the side lines by now and he looks almost bored. But the blond boy knows better. Falling into a sense of security for Brick's mask is like thinking a snake won't attack you if you step on it. Deadly.

Boomer sighs - this wasn't going to be the only fight he sees today. _Aw man - and they just got here_. Boomer hopes they won't kick them out for this. His eyes drag back to the fight, expecting someone to be down by now. To his surprise - the little girl is holding her own and, if her friends cheering are anything to go by, is _winning_.

Or maybe Butch just likes taking the hits.

She punches and kicks and hits so hard _Boomer_ winces at every impact, Butch blocks some and takes others as she fights back, he stumbles back, that grin present always. Then she swings a particularly nasty round kick at him and - he grabs her leg. The fight freezes as she widens her eyes at him. Butch tilts his head and grins harder.

"That the best you got? You fight like a girl -"

And then - Boomer never thought he'd see this on anyone else other than his brother - she _loses_ it. She lets out an angry offended growl and body launches him this time like a crazy something. They roll in the dust as she curses at every part of him she can. Butch laughs and insults back, jeering at her all the way.

Boomer is confused and sidles up next to Brick; who's eyes never left the fight.

"Hey Brick." He ventures worriedly, wincing when Buttercup lands a heavy blow to Butchs' stomach making him hack for breath.

"Yah."

"What's wrong with Butch right now?"

Brick doesn't answer right away. His eyes still narrowing at Butch. "He's enjoying this."

Boomer figures as much. "Why? He doesn't do this when we fight Zombies or practice with you."

"This is different. This is someone new and Butch feels like she's _actually_ a challenge - which it looks like she is. He's been waiting for this for a long time. Blood-thirsty moron." Brick sounds kind of deflated now. Boomer wonders if Brick might empathize with their bother just a little bit.

Having someone new to challenge - might feel good to egotistical fighters. But Boomer never cared. He just wants to live - he never thought his brothers would want somebody to challenge them -

The fight gets worse. Buttercups friends launch themselves into it. Butch is having a blast. Buttercup screams angrily when he pulls at her hair. The dust lifts, the noise grows and Brick stands, evidently ready to shut this down then -

"Everyone stop!" The voice is sharp and clear and ridged.

Boomer blinks up and looks at the new comer standing at the top of a dune. He takes a sharp breath as everyone freezes involuntarily.

And the new comer walks towards them, eyes blazing and hair the color of fire. "Someone better _explain_ to me what's happening."

She stops in front of the guilty party and crosses her arms. The air around her goes cold, and somehow scary, as she taps her foot. Boomer shivers and even Brick stiffens next to him.

"Now." She says in a calm cold voice. "Who wants to go first."

* * *

 **Dun dun duuuuuun.**

 **So - I basically introduced a bunch of charecters now including all the Powerpuffs - wow - this was not . . . this was not supposed to happen.**

 **Maybe I'm glad it did.**

 **Let me know what you guys think.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N) Not too happy with this one - took a while to write and I still don't feel like I got it right. Oh well - it reveals some required info so - enjoy I guess.**

 **Motivation is your superpower.**

* * *

Boomer winces as Butch hisses when Brick punches a particularly scratched up spot on his upper arm.

"Ow!"

"You wanted pain, there you go." Brick snaps as he grabs a white strip of fabric to wrap around Butch's scratches, tightly. "What were you thinking you idiot? Starting a fight like that."

"I just wanted to _see_." Butch mumbles. Boomer sees him fighting a smirk. The dark haired boy's eyes still had that glint to them. Boomer sighs and sits on a crate, deciding to take in the area around them.

After that red haired girl stopped the group brawl the dark haired girl had stood and explained that _'this idiot started it for no reason'_ and _'he was asking for it_.' And _'Next time I'll crack his head'_ as she pointed at Butch, everyone backed her up and Butch had almost laughed, he probably would have if Brick hadn't glared at him so viciously.

It had gone rather smoothly for the most part. The new girl glared at them, was told who they were, and sent them to this corner of the Haven to wrap up their idiot brother without further incident.

"You just wanted to _see_ huh?" Brick sounds less than amused.

Butch sighs. "It's been a while since I got a fight like that. Snapping Zombie heads is fun and all but it's not like that. Man - "Butch's grin grows now, "what a rush!"

Brick smacks him upside the head.

"And the _last_ rush you will ever feel. If I catch you doing something stupid and unnecessarily screwed up I will kick your butt out of this place myself." Bricks eyes glow. "Do I make myself clear?"

Butch rubs his head. "Yeah, yeah, I got it." He pouts.

Boomer resists the urge to snort at him.

"Excuse me."

The boys stiffen and turn to see the red haired girl from before. She's pretty when she's not scary, Boomer notices. Her eyes are a weird coral color and her hair is red - like crazy shiny and long and she's - _really pretty_.

Boomer doesn't notice Brick stiffen behind him as they all stare at her.

She doesn't notice their blatant stares. "I didn't get the chance to introduce myself before." Her eyes flicker to Butch who grins sheepishly at her. "I'm Blossom Utonium, I hear you just came from the outside?" Her voice is smooth and clear. She exudes some kind of confidence Boomer feels like he's felt before. But he can't remember where.

Then he _hears_ the silence.

 _Wait - why isn't anybody answering - scratch that, why isn't Brick answering?_

He and Butch both turn to look at their silent brother.

The silence in this place is starting to make it heavy. The girl shifts on her other foot, the only thing showing her discomfort about the thickening silence.

"Uh, Brick -?" Boomer nudges his silent older brother to get him out of his stupor.

Brick blink and flashes the younger blond a look before realizing he'd been staring. "Uh - Hi - I'm sick – Brick - um - Hi."

If Boomer didn't favor his own life he would have - you know . . . snickered at his super smart brother's slip up. But he did _like_ living so - _yah_. He stayed quiet for the benefit of living another day.

The red haired girl, Blossom _\- that's a nice name_ \- gives him a small smile and holds out her hand firmly. "Nice to meet you all."

It takes Brick three awkward seconds of staring at her hand before he realizes she's waiting for him to take it. _Oops_. Boomer almost snorts at that. Butch looks like he's going to crack at any moment - he doesn't values his own life like Boomer does.

"So," Blossom says withdrawing her hand, "You've been outside this entire time?"

Brick nods, on time this time. "We've been on the outskirts for a while now. We weren't even aware this place existed."

Her pretty face turns into a sympathetic frown. She seems much nicer than the scary person she was outside when she stopped the brawl. "I'm so sorry, I can't imagine how awful it must have been to be out there all alone." She sounds genuine.

Brick doesn't answer this. Boomer kind of wants to thank her and everyone else. But he stays silent.

"So - is there a specific place for us to stay?" Brick says instead. "I don't think we're just supposed to find a corner and claim it right? You guys seem more organized than that."

Blossoms pretty pink eyes light up, "Oh yes! Boarding house, for boys specifically. We have some room for you guys I believe, and if we don't - the boys will be happy to accommodate."

Boomers not so sure about that but he smiles behind his brother who nods.

"I'll show you if you want."

Brick accepts.

They follow the red haired girl out and through the Haven, Boomer can't shake the feeling of excitement to have a new safe place to live.

* * *

"This is it!" Blossom sounds excited as she shows them a row of low roofed bunk houses. They all look sagging and the roofs are made out of crate planks. _Man - they make everything out of everything around here._

Boomer wonders where they find all the stuff.

"This is it?" Brick sounds much less excited than Blossom does. Maybe she notices because she sags a little.

"It's not a grand thing but - it keeps out the carbonated rains and you can sleep in it." She says, her previous excitement sort of flattened.

 _Way to go Brick._

Boomer looks at his older brother in confusion. Butch looks pretty interested, he's already heading towards one of the doors.

"Well - thanks." Brick says, eyes grazing over the place.

 _What's up with him?_

Butch starts to twitch; he really wants to get inside.

"You're welcome I guess." She says calmly. "Check out building six, there should be beds in there for you. We divide rations next to the fire over there at sunset," She points at a darkened pit a-ways away, "And we mostly get everyone in by dark."

"Where do you guys get the food and things from?" Brick asks, he sounds - weirdly like he's suspicious.

Boomer doesn't get it. What is _up_ with him?

The red headed girl doesn't say anything for a second. Her soft pink eyes suddenly train so hard on Brick it's like she's looking _through_ him. She must have detected the weird hardness in Bricks' tone. She sucks in a breath, like she's counting in her head and gives them a prim smile.

"Scavenging mostly. We have teams of well-trained individuals who are able to go out and bring back things for us to use." She sounds very informed.

Boomer wonders if she's in charge or something. She looks their age - but she sounds much older.

Brick nods and glances at Butch sharply who's inching away towards the cabins. The brunet boy freezes.

"So what happens when this area runs out of supplies?" Brick asks.

Boomer almost sighs in irritation. _Can we just go now please_?

"We scavenge farther."

"And if it gets too far?"

"We move."

Brick doesn't seem satisfied, but he turns away. "Thanks for the info."

The girl seems slightly ridged now but she nods. "Don't forget - rations over there in a few hours and we look forward to having you three mold into our young Haven. Have a good night." And she turns on her heel and briskly walks away, her red hair flaming under the last faint rays of the setting sun.

Boomer thinks they should probably _not_ make that girl mad.

He turns to comment to his brothers and maybe ask Brick what's wrong with him right now but they're already heading towards the Cabin without him. He scrambles after them.

'Hey guys, wait up -" They step inside the creaky wood shack and stop.

Inside is pretty snug, three walls have one bed against it and they're on a metal frame. Boomer's eyes widen, he hasn't seen a lifted bed in years. The last one they had Butch broke because he tripped and landed on the frame, bending it the wrong way and nearly breaking his neck when the frame snapped shut on his head. Boomer remembers being grateful Butch has a hard head, otherwise hat would have hurt.

"Nice digs.'" Butch voices his approval, dark eyes sweeping the bare room. "Looks like it's just us though. That red head really set us up nice huh?"

Brick hums noncommittally and sits slowly on one of the beds. It creaks and the hinges were slightly rusty, but otherwise - it's better than sleeping in a dusty corner with a rag to cover with every night.

Boomer tries it out too and a grin spreads across his face. "This is gonna be so cool. We've got people to talk to and food that we don't have to scavenge for all the time and - and Zombies can't get you in here. This is awesome!" He can't keep the excitement from his voice.

Brick stares at the ground hard, eyes narrowing in thought and his lips pull into a tight line.

"Brick? Are you ok?" Boomer asks suddenly, sort of worried about his brothers silent thinking. When Brick thinks with _that_ look on his face it means he's trying to figure out the best course of action for something.

"Yah bro - you've been really weirdly quiet. You're doing that thing with the eyebrows - why are you doing that thing with the eyebrows?" Butch says as he leans annoyingly forward and pushes a finger between Bricks frowning eyebrows.

Brick smacks his hand away and sighs. "I'm just thinking about how interesting it is that we didn't know this place existed. Also - once we settle in, we're going to have to find a place in here, it's not like when it was just us three anymore - we'll have to mold. And that might be a bit problematic." He sounds like he's talking while he's thinking now.

Ah - that explains some things. Brick's being paranoid. Boomer smiles carefully. Brick hasn't shown paranoid in years. It used to be when one of them didn't come home in time after a scavenge or when Butch would go disturbingly silent for hours which means he's trying to think which make Brick twitchy. But then they kind of just became numb to everything and Boomer suspects Brick still cares just - puts the worry part of it on the back burner.

But maybe being here with new people and new place is bringing back his uncertainties.

Butch snorts and punches Brick in the shoulder. "We'll do fine man." And he flops on the last unoccupied bed and folds his arms behind his head closing his eyes. "Besides, I think we're gonna fit in just fine."

Brick snorts this time and rolls his eyes. "Yah, if you guys could keep down the need to be stupid though, that would be grand."

Boomer nods hard, trying to appease his older brother just so that he won't breathe down his neck about this later.

Brick wasn't looking at him. His eyes were on Butch's stretched out form.

It's silent for a moment.

Butch lets out a loud exaggerated sigh and rolls over to his side, back towards Brick. Boomer waits. Brick's eyes bore into Butch's back now. He hasn't blinked once. It always freaks Boomer out when he does that, like if he stares long enough he'll be able to burn a hole in whatever he's staring at.

Another silent moment.

Then Butch sighs again, this time louder and _more_ dramatically, "Fiiiiiii-iiine - " He flips over and smirks at Brick. "Fine - I won't do anything stupid - " He turns back over.

Brick doesn't believe him, but he drops the laser stare for now.

Boomer shakes his blond head as Butch mutters under his breath something that sounded suspiciously like _'for now'_ under his breath.

Boomer sighs. Whatever does happen though - it can't be any worse than living alone outside with hordes of Zombies.

 _Don't do anything stupid - ok - that should be easy enough right?_

* * *

They go out later to get rations and to Boomer's surprised there are so many people there already, including that Blond girl - including Bubbles, Boomer can't remember much of anything else except that she was laughing and it sounds amazing -

Butch already falls into a group - the people he got into the brawls with Buttercup. They greet his green eyed bother really warmly in a weird rough, smack - smack – punch – punch, kind of way. Even that Buttercup girl seemed ok with him being there. Boomer suspects she might have had fun beating Butch up - but he's not sure, he doesn't know her that well yet but Boomer's pretty sure, judging by how tough she seems he wouldn't be surprised if she did like fighting though

Brick hangs back a bit, some people - a few were adults here, approached him first and Boomers surprised that Brick actually gets in a conversation, he must really have meant it when he said he wants them to find a place here.

"I'm Mitch - this is Mike and that's Robin." Boomer hears the freckle faced boy from before introduce himself and the others to Butch as Boomer walks up to them.

Butch smirks at them all "Nice - I'm Butch - " he pauses and glances at all of them, Boomer wonders what he's thinking as a weird look flashes across Butchs' face for a moment before he covers it and squares his shoulder, "Nice that you exist."

They go silent. Freckle face and the soft looking boy with blue eyes look away and that weird girl with large eyes and brown hair looks sort of teary.

Buttercup was silent up until this point and Boomer notices that she's shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other and her hands are clenching tightly at her sides. Then she claps them together startling their silence and briskly smacks a hand against Butch's shoulder.

"Nice to meetchya crazy boy." She smirks at him, her bright eyes sparking with a weirdly familiar glint that Boomer suddenly feels like he's seen a hundred times before even though he doesn't know her that well yet -

"Yah – nice to meet you too crazy girl." Butch says back. They stare at each other for a weird second that Boomer _cannot_ explain and he's staring at them harder than he realizes - he's never seen his brother so _still_ for longer than _three_ seconds and -

"Ahem - " The sharp throat clearing startles all of them and Boomer notices the freckle faced boy looks like he's trying to fight a grin as he looks at Buttercup - "let's eat. I'm starved."

This was greeted by a chorus of agreements, and they turn to get their rations.

Boomer feels kind of warm on the inside as he sits next to Butch and they're surrounded by talking and laughter of others and - and when Buttercup insults Butch's face, he insults back, she punches him and then a scuffle ensues and then they start a fight and Boomer finds himself watching and laughing and then accidentally smacking Brick in the head when he gets shoved by Butch in the middle of the fight and - and they're _laughing_.

Brick looks exasperated but he doesn't look angry _yet_.

Boomer sits back and watches again. Takes it in. _Really_ takes it in - the noise, the voices, the people . . . and he feels that warmth inside grow.

 _Yah - yah they could stay here._

They just - they just should keep from messing this up. Boomer smiles slightly - just don't do anything too stupid and they'll be fine.

 _Just fine._

* * *

"It's official. You are an _idiot_. A total, complete, and _utter_ idiot." Brick looks livid. Furious. Nearly _murderous_.

Butch grins as he straps on the black belt around his waist, several others mill around doing the same, some slipping gloves on, other sharpening hatchets or knives. Buttercup was behind them saying something about decapitation of dead flesh.

"C'mon Brick, you said we have to find where we fit in this place. And I did!" Butch sounds extremely pleased with himself.

Boomer shakes his head as he sits on a boulder pretending to draw random patters on it with his finger. He doesn't want Butch to go - but of course his brother _would_ find scavenging a fun pass time. Butch could never sit still for long. They've only been here for like eight days and Butch has already found a group of people almost as crazy as he is.

Buttercup included.

"I swear Butch - you are _literally_ the sheerest idiot I have ever - "

"Chill Bro" Butch cuts Bricks livid rant off. Boomer thinks he shouldn't be so ' _whatever'_ about this. But this _is_ Butch - and he wouldn't be himself if he _doesn't_ push buttons or his safety. "We'll be back before dark and when we do - you'll be super jealous of the fun I had." His grin is cheeky and Boomer sees that familiar glint in his green eyes. He's twitching slightly from excitement.

Boomer sighs and slides off the boulder as he makes his way towards his brothers.

"Hey Butch - don't let the Zombies get you." Boomer smiles halfheartedly, he knows Butch is the fiercest when it came to killing Zombies but - but _still_ , just in case, Boomer thinks he should remind his brother of the danger he always seems to forget exists. Like this was some kind of game or something.

Butch nods.

"C'mon yah losers. Let's move out." Buttercup suddenly yells at her group and heads for the gates, armed and ready, even her footsteps look armed.

Butch grins after her. "Yes Ma'am." He turns back to his brothers taking in Boomers downturned face and Bricks grim glare. He smacks them both on their shoulders and salutes. "Don't worry guys, this ain't any worse than going out alone like we used to - it's better actually. I've got a bunch more people at my back. Bring you guys back a Zombie eyes ball as a souvenir."

"Please _don't_." Brick deadpans.

Butch laughs and takes off, practically _skipping_ after his new found group.

"Hey Brick?"

"Hmm- " Bricks says absently, eyes trained after their idiot brother.

"He'll be fine right? Should - should one of us go with him and - "

"And what? He has a group - he'll be fine. It's just . . ." He hadn't asked or let Brick know beforehand.

Boomer figures Brick doesn't like that.

Maybe Brick's need for control was greater than they realized. Maybe having Butch decide on his own to go out into that hell without telling Brick was - was making Brick feel like he was losing control to keep them safe and in one piece and-

Boomer sighs and decides to head to the infirmary. For no reason at all, he's fine. Brick just needs time to brood and he needs some company. And the infirmary has people in it that he likes and he thinks they like him and - and Bubbles likes to go there a lot - not that _this_ has anything to do with _her,_ just . . . just she's so happy and in turn makes others happy and it feels like - like she's a piece of the sun that has fallen on earth to have the lucky people that know her remember what the sun used to look like and - and Boomer _knows_ there's another word for this but he's not sure what it is and he really like to talk to her but - but what if she _doesn't_ want to talk to him? What if she has other things to do and he'll just annoy her and -

His nerve scare him and he doesn't understand them. Bubbles is in the infirmary alone when he gets there though and he freezes.

She hums sweetly as she folds a crate full of extra clothe that they sue for clothing and bandages.

"H-hi B-Bubbles." He waves shyly. He feels weird around her - feeling like weird jitters and his stomach hurts all the time and he feels really hot and he doesn't get it at all - and he's afraid to ask Brick because, what if he's sick! What if he's turning into a Zombie slowly or something? He doesn't think he's been infected, but still!

"Hiya Boomer, nice to see you today." She smiles bright and blindingly at him.

Boomer sighs. "Yah me to - you - um - nice to see _you_ too." He stammers.

She giggles and it sounds like what Boomer imagines Music must have sounded like back in the day. Brick was telling him about that a while ago, they have interesting pieces of history in this place that they managed to save through their scavenging and that keeps Brick busy for hours, it's like the boy is starving for something and Boomer's not sure what it is yet but -but at least Brick has a favorite pastime now?

"Hey, you wanna help me with something?" She asks and whirls around, snatching him by his fraying shirt sleeve and leads him towards a huge box in the back. Boomer waits as she opens it and gasps.

Inside where - weird _moving_ things - Boomer doesn't know _what_ they are, but they're in jars and they're moving - they're _alive_? Holy -

"Wha - "

Bubbles giggles, his face must have looked incredibly stupid at the moment. Boomer stares at her with wide eyes and she gives him a wide smile.

"They're tadpoles."

"Tad - what?"

She laughs again. "Tadpoles - they're baby frogs - amphibians. Professor managed to find some species and we - we breed them here."

Boomer can hardly believe he's seeing living creatures that _aren't_ humans and - and _wow_. He lifts a jar full of small flitting living things. They're ugly and kind of gross looking but - but they're _alive_.

"We hope one day - one day we'll be able to have a place to let them go - but for now we're going to build a pound inside the Haven when they grow a bit more." She was saying as Boomer watches with clear fascination.

"You think there will be a place outside for them someday?" He says suddenly. He wonders - _will there be a place outside for these little things_? There isn't for humans and he's pretty sure, until they all die and become Zombies - this was how life was going to be.

Bubbles doesn't answer - she's opening lid slowly and dropping some weird greeN stuff in the water.

"Bubbles?" She looks distant suddenly. Boomer feels weird and - and he wonders what she's thinking.

"Bubbles?" He says again and touches her arm gently.

She startles - 'Oh - oh sorry, I was just thinking about the cure Professor - " She stops, blue eyes wide, she looks like someone hit her and she slaps a hand over her mouth, puts down the jar and stands hurriedly. "S-sorry Boomer I - I need to go for a minute. Sorry - "

She runs out and Boomer's left alone in the dusty room with jars full of wiggly black specks in a crate.

"Cure?"

 _What - what does that mean?_

* * *

 _Don't forget to review - I love reviews._

 _Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N) This is shorter, and from a different perspective.**

 **Hope it's worth the wait anyway.**

 **Thanks for all you're wonderful reviews from my previouse chapters, you guys brought sunshine to my week that was missing.**

 **Motivation is your Superpower.**

* * *

"Ok - so turns out we're further away than I thought." Buttercup was saying as her team follows behind her.

Butch sigs dramatically just to annoy her and judging by the sharp tick in her jaw - he grins - it was working.

"You know - that last ruin was pretty full - it's not like the life threatening situation we are in right now isn't worth it. Just look at all these cans!" Butch says as he falls into step next to the short dark haired girl. "It's not a complete waste of time and possibly life."

She glares at him from the corner of her eyes. "Shut up."

"It's true though - I've never even seen some of this stuff." Butch continues anyway, rummaging through the sack that's draped over his shoulder.

Mitch comes up and shoves at him lightly, freckles prominent against his face, he looks a bit worried.

Butch raises a dark brow at him in question. Mitch's eyes flit to Buttercups tense form and he tilts his head back to silently tell Butch to back up.

"What?" Butch asks after the fall behind the rest of the group, he finds a can of weird green things inside - he doesn't know what kind of food it is and he's pretty sure it'll be disgusting _. Oh well. Beggars can't be choosers._

"Buttercup - she takes this sort of thing seriously." Mitch says, kicking a stone.

"Um- I repeat. What?"

Mitch rolls his dark eyes at him. "She takes her leadership thing seriously; if you push her buttons there she'll eat your face off."

Butch contemplates if that'll be a good thing or not. His eyes drift to Buttercups pinched face, her lips tight and her eyes narrow as she surveys their road back and looks up at the sky, Butch notices the sun is lower - real low, but they should still have a good while before the Zombie hordes come out - they should be at least close enough to make a run for it if they need to. But she seems worried. And Butch isn't sure if he should be too or not.

"She doesn't like failing - it's personal." Mitch finishes and nudges him in the arm.

Butch nods _. Personal? That's weird_. But then - so are a lot of other things around here. He sighs again and jumps across a particularly large crack to catch up with the petit brunet. "Hey - hey Buttercup."

She ignores him.

Of course she does.

Butch smirks and jumps in front of her, walking backwards to annoy her on purpose, his smirk only widens when she glares at him. _Man - if eyes could kill_ \- he'd be dead a thousand times over by now and - he doesn't think he'd mind much.

"Listen - if we don't make it before the hordes find us, we can just - I don't know, find a high spot and settle for a while. S'what me and my bro's did sometimes." Butch says, he's trying to be helpful, _really_ but the look on her face crosses from worry to anger to determination. _Well then -_

"We'll make it. We have too - Blossom will have my hide if we don't." She looks away to make sure the others are still there.

Butch raises his eyes brows in confusion. "Blossom? What's that stiff have to say anything about this?"

Buttercup rolls her eyes. "She's my sister dumb-butt, she's also in charge of regrouping and making sure everyone's accounted for. She only lets me take groups out on my own because Professor made her. But - "Butch can't believe the momentary defeat that crosses Buttercups face when she doesn't meet his eyes he leans forward into her space.

"Buuuut?" He prods.

She rolls her eyes again. " _But_ she's always up my case for being unsafe and reckless - so if we don't make it or if we are late she's going to rub it in my face and - and I'll probably feel guilty for the rest of my life if someone does die and -"

Butch stops cold, eyes wide. Buttercup runs smack into his chest.

"Ow - what the - "

"I don't think Blossoms' wrath is what you have to worry about right now B." He stiffens as his eyes take in the moving shadows. The others including Buttercup follow his gaze. Everyone tenses and pull out weapons.

There's something weird though - the Zombies they're - _are they_ \- ?

"Buttercup?"

She's got her gun ready. "Yah." She lifts it to aim.

"Um - " His heart jumps in his throat - _they are_! "Are those - those things - _running_?" He can hardly believe it. _Oh Crap - they are running._

Buttercup grits her teeth so hard he wonders how she didn't break them. "Yup."

"So - should _we_?"

"You scared Butch?" She taunts.

He spits, the hordes gets closer. He thinks of Boomer - _don't let the Zombies get you_ \- he's not a coward, he's all for challenges and everything but - but - there's a first time for everything and something isn't right here. Dead flesh should _not_ be moving that _fast_.

"We gotta go." He hisses.

"What?"

The hordes less than a few feet away, Butch sees them, yellow eyes glowing in the smog - they look - almost _alive_ and - and viciously _hungry_. They're _running_ and - and Butch suddenly feels like something punched him in the guts. He needs to tell Brick about this - and the only way to do that was to get the hell out of dodge.

"We're going." He snatches Buttercups arm and drags her away.

"What - hey! _Butch_! Cut it out you idi- Aaack!" She shrieks when he lifts her up and throws her over his shoulder. "Butch I'm gonna kill y - what are we running for?"

Butch huffs, glances around to make sure everyone's following, they were, _good_ \- "You blind, girl? Those things are freaking _running_ \- we need to get out of here."

"Butch we can't just - "

"Yah we can - I'd like to live to tell the others about this."

He feels her tense as he jumps over a large crack. "Put me down."

"Wha-"

"Put me down idiot! It'll be faster."

He does. They bolt, the Zombies have seen them and - and they're growling? _What_?

Butch dares a look behind him. A Zombie face stares right at him. Robin shrieks bloody murder and - and they're on top of them. Butch's gasps as one takes a deadly swipe at him - they have - claws? _Claws_?!

Since when did -

Another deadly swipe, he dodges locks the arm and attempts to break it off. It doesn't.

 _No – no, no, no, no, no way - how -how_ , his thoughts break up, he can't think.

 _Zombies - monster - something's wrong - what's happening? -Gotta tell Brick- they have more teeth - can't let them bite or scratch - we're dead - how is this - what's - we - Brick an' Boomer - damn._

He glances around, hardly breathing, there were so many, he stabs one violently in the eye, it shrieks and almost claws his face off. He catches Buttercup fighting like a deadly ball of anger, shooting and slashing at these things like a crazy person. He twitches - his mind is losing focus - he's shutting down - oh god, the last time this happened - Brick - Brick almost _died_ and -

Butch lets out a yell when one actually gets a hit across his chest. Good thing he had that weird leather vest thing on this time. Or he would have been infected and -

"Buuuutch!"

He startles as he pulls his knife out of the Zombies throat, Buttercups scream sounded - scared - he turns to look where she is.

She's fighting - someone was laying at her feet -

 _Oh - oh no – no, no, no, no, no, no, no!_

"Buttercup!"

"It's Mitch - we - we haveta - get out!" Her voice cracks, Butch shudders, the Zombie horde was gonna kill them all, unless they get away. He sees a broken building and the stairs that go around it - they look slightly intact. _Here goes nothing_. He lets out a horrible battle cry runs towards Mitch, drags his groaning body and drapes it over his shoulder. "

"Go, go, go, go, GO!" Buttercups screaming as she shoots like a mad person.

Mike, Robin and the twins follow behind, covering Butch as he runs screaming towards the run down building hoping beyond anything that that those stairs would hold their weight.

"Buttercup!" Robin gasps and turns to go back, Butch dares a glance, his heart drops like a stone, Mike grabs Robin by her arms to stop her from going back. Buttercups eyes meet his and - and for a moment he thinks she knows.

Getting out of this one - might not happen after all.

 _No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. . ._

"Butter - "

"Move it idiot!" She shrieks, blood staining her face - he's not sure if it's hers' or the weird gunk those freaks ooze when they get stabbed -

He freezes to his spot. Mike shoves at him, the twins push.

He shakes inside but starts moving and gets them to the top of the building. His breathing is ragged and the sky is nearly pitch black now. There's a sour smelling air blowing and the sweat on his forehead prickles as it slides down his face. He puts Mitch down. The boy groans.

Robin lets out a choked sob.

Mike looks like he's going to puke and the twins hold hands like they're going to die if they don't.

Butch stand, his knees don't want him too - he needs to - silence suddenly fills his ears. The savage sounds and gun sounds have stopped _\- Buttercup - Buttercup's dead?_

He - he doesn't think he can handle that.

Sure, he hasn't known her for very long but - but those few days feel like - years. His whole life and - and she can't be dead.

He falls to his knees and forces the heels of his hands to his burning eyes. She can't be -

Something crackles - he hears a scuffle. His eyes open and he drags them up from a pair of dirty tapping boots to the girl wearing them. She looks awful. And he feels like he could pass out. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and spits.

"Miss me much?" She gives him a shaky smirk.

His stomach flips, his head detaches from his head and floats and he never dared - not once -dared to think he could be this relieved and happy over anyone -

"Y-yah." He says shakily. '"You ok?"

She nods and tears her eyes away from him towards the groaning boy behind Butch. "But Mitch isn't."

Butch rips his eyes away from her and looks at the poor guy on the ground, Robins face is red from crying and Mike walks towards the edge of the building to throw up over the side. Buttercup walks towards them and kneels next to Mitch, her fingers shake as she reaches for his sweaty forehead to push away the boys brown bangs. She lifts his shirt arm - and then Butch sees it . . . the deep bite mark in it - it cracked the leather he was wearing and it was grey, deep, and ugly and the skin around it was already turning yellow.

Butch feels like throwing up now.

"Buttercup –Mitch, he - "

She closes her eyes and shakes her head, Butch thinks she's going to cry for a second - And Then she lets out a shaky breath, her bright eyes shiny as she looks at him, lips paling.

"He's been infected."

* * *

 **A/N) Hope that was fun!**

 **Let me know what you thought, I love knwing what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N) Hello there, thanks for all your amazing reviews and for following this story. I hope you guys like this chapter - it definitely helps move the story in to our next phase.**

 **And now I'm just relizing - this story might become longer than I thought.**

 **Oops.**

 **Anyway.**

 _ **Motivation is your Superpower!**_

* * *

It was peaceful.

Unsettlingly so.

Boomer's felt this weird tingling in the back of his neck all day, since Butch left with the group. He's walking around base and trying to help people with random tasks but his feet just keep taking him form one place to the other without point. Something feels really, _really_ off.

"Boomer?"

Boomer startles at the sound of his name, his dark blue eyes widen as he looks at the source of the word. Bubbles is standing outside of the infirmary biting her lip as she looks at him with, what his small heart can only rejoice at, concern. He's never had anyone else be concerned about him before.

"Yah?"

"Are you alright? You seem - edgy today. Very - um - twitchy almost."

 _So she noticed - huh, maybe there really was something wrong._

"No - no, I'm fine . . .yah." _Mostly_ \- "Totally fine." _Not at all._ _Something's wrong, Butch isn't back yet. Something's wrong. Oh crap -_ "I'm good." He grins at her knowing it doesn't reach his eyes. He's internally freaking out way too much to act very well.

She notices.

She's very observant. "You sure Boomer - you honestly don't seem fine. Are you worried about your brother?"

Boomer waits a beat, he kicks up a cloud of dust with his dirty boot. Should he tell her his weird paranoid thoughts? That was going to worry her though - maybe he shouldn't . . .

"I'm worried about Butch and the others. They're not back yet" He blurts out.

Bubble's pretty eyes lower and she sighs. '"Me too - it's been bothering me all day. I always worry when Buttercup goes out like this."

His heart swells. _She understands!_

"I know she's really good at fighting, maybe even the best but - but _sometimes_ \- sometimes I worry. Anything can happen out there you know. Anything at all." She looks out towards the gate now, her golden hair shiny under the dim sun light, her pretty, smooth face forming a sad frown. Boomer realizes he doesn't want that look on her face anymore.

He doesn't like it.

Bubbles was too - too bright to look anything other than happy.

"Yah - yah, but they'll be fine." He tries to comfort her.

Bubbles cast him a soft look now, her lips tug at the corners a little and he counts that as a success. "They will." She agrees.

Boomer prays to anything that he's right.

* * *

"Cut that out."

"Cut _what_ out?" Boomer asks, the picture of innocence as he continues to do the very thing Brick wants him to stop doing.

"Pacing. Stop pacing - you're making me tense." Brick snaps, definitely not in the mood for Boomers nerves. Boomer has the sneaking suspicion that Brick's been feeling the paranoid worry that's been bothering Boomer too.

"It's late." Boomer says.

Brick doesn't answer, his nose stuck back in his ratty paper pile. Books - they called them books.

"The sun's setting."

Brick still doesn't answer. Boomer suspects he's listening though because his dark red eyes look slightly glazed.

"Zombies come out now - you know, the hordes." His throat feels dry, his nerves frizzle a bit. "Lots of them. Hundreds. They're not back yet - _why_ aren't they back yet? They're fine right? Butch's fine, 'course he is - he's _fine_ \- just a little late . . . they're fine." His words get more tense and shaky as he speaks.

"Fine, fine, fine, fine, _fine_ \- all is well - no need to worry, I'm not worried. Are you? Well, you shouldn't be - worried I mean - you shouldn't be - you know, cuz - cuz _I'm_ not and - and they're _fine_ so there's no need - so stop looking worried -"

" _Boomer_!"

Boomer freezes, eyes huge as he stares at Brick's tight expression. Bricks fingers are white from the grip he has on the book thing, eyes narrowed viciously at him.

"Meep." Boomer squeaks.

"Shut. Up."

Boomer suddenly feels like crying. He takes a shaky breath and nods, eyes on the ground. "Yah - yah they're probably fine."

He can _feel_ Bricks frustration in the wordless space they are in.

Then a sound shakes the walls of their cabin.

A low deep below that neither of them have never heard before. It shakes the ground and vibrates all the way up Boomer's legs. His eyes snap to Bricks' and somehow they both have the same thought.

 _Something's wrong._

They tear out of the room and bolt for the gates - so is everyone else.

 _Oh - oh no, no way - not -_ Boomers' heart's in his throat, his brain is sizzling with fear. Brick grabs his collar and holds tight, he does this as some sort of security assurance, or maybe he just wants to make sure Boomers still there.

"Move, move, move, _move_!" A tall man - and the Professor come shoving through the crowd.

"What's happened?" Boomer here's Professor asks as they rush through the crowd of people.

Boomer vaguely recognizes the tall man as the guy who was training Buttercup and the others. He doesn't, however, recognize the blob of human in black clothing they are carrying inside. Boomers heart flips in terror – Bricks' grip on his shirt tightens.

Then Butch breaks through the crowd. Hair disheveled, face bruising, scratches everywhere and blood dried on the corner of his mouth.

He looks terrible.

And Boomer's never been so happy to see him.

He shakes off Bricks loosening grip and charges towards their idiot brother who's looking around the crowd like he's in a daze or something. Boomer watches that confusion fade when Butch's eyes catch him.

"You're alive!" Boomer gasps, grabbing Butch's sleeve as he tries to breath.

Butch's face is tight, "Yah - but I don't think Mitch will be in a bit."

"What happened?" Brick asks as he walks up, eyes training on the rest of the group members coming in. None of them look so good.

"Zombies Brick." Butch says, his voice flat, Boomers never seen such a dim look in his brothers eyes before - then he looks at _what_ Butch won't stop staring at.

 _Buttercup_.

She looks worse than all of them.

Her hair is dirt, caked with –Boomer shudders – Zombie fluids, her face as scratches all down he side, her shirt sleeves are ripped and her entire being is dusty with some dark questionable substances spread all over.

She was talking with Blossom who was shooting off questions at her which seemed to be making the dark haired girl more and more anxious.

"Zombies - there were seven of you, how did - "

"There's something wrong with 'em." Butch cuts Brick off, now his eyes swivel to meet Bricks' quizzical ones, he grabs Bricks' wrist where his hand is still gripping onto Butchs' shirt, and lets out a deep breath.

Then Boomer _sees_ the horror in his face.

"They're faster Brick, and they - they don't - they're limbs, they don't break off - like - like they ain't dead flesh anymore. They're - "

"Alive?" Boomer startles them with his horrified whisper. Both his brothers look at him.

"Yah - yah. Alive. They could see too, they had two eyes a piece and they're teeth - more teeth, less grey and moved fast, real fast." Butch continues, his voice cracking a bit towards the end. Boomer notices his arm twitch. Brick hasn't let go yet.

The three of them go silent in the middle of the noise surrounding them. Everyone was running back and forth, doing only they know what - Buttercup and Blossom had disappeared and the rest of the people seemed to have forgotten the three little boys standing there.

Then Boomer startles to life and turns towards the infirmary, that's where most of the people are, he moves towards it, trying to ignore the buzzing in his brain that's supposed to be keeping him away from this. That was his flight signal - but he walks towards the mess of people and elbows his way through until he gets inside.

Professor is whirling around the spread out body, Boomer feels sick as he looks closer, Mitch's arm had puncture wounds in it and - and it's turning a sickly grey-yellow color. Buttercup was sitting on a crate next to the boy's unmoving form, and Boomer wonders - wonders for a brief horrible second - what she'll do when Mitch dies.

A heavy hand startles him as Butch pulls him back a little, face tight and stony, his green eyes dark as he looks at the boy on the cot. Boomer suddenly wishes they hadn't come here. It's a horrible weight on his heart, like ice has encase it and its making it too heavy to beat - but - but if they hadn't come here, they wouldn't have anyone else to worry about - besides themselves.

If they hadn't come here - they wouldn't have anyone else to mourn -

If they hadn't come here -

Boomer realizes the world was suddenly blurry, he feels hot liquid run down his dusty cheeks and - and he's crying.

Brick's on the other side now, red eyes narrowing at the boy on the cot.

Boomer hastily wipes the tears away with the back of his hand and avoids sniffing too loudly. He looks up a Brick - his oldest brother - probably the strongest of them - probably the scariest when it comes to anger - suddenly Boomer has a flash back -

That time when Butch had stayed out longer than he was supposed to - He remembers how worked up Brick had become - Pacing and muttering of how he'll kill Butch once he gets home, if the Zombies hadn't.

Boomer remembers the sheer tenseness of his brother for hours; he hadn't sat down - then finally he'd gone out. Boomer had wanted to follow. Brick said no.

 _"In case he comes back.'_

So he sat there for what felt like years - until Butch burst into the place - scraped up, worn and definitely _not_ dead.

 _"Where's Brick."_

 _"Went out to find you."_

 _"Crap - we gotta get him."_

Then they'd run out to find Brick - Boomer remembers feeling like that night would never end. He remembers hating every tight moment they took to find Brick - he doesn't know how but . . . but he felt something off that night.

When they found Brick hiding behind a bare store shelf griping his arm - he hated that he'd been right.

Brick had been bitten. His arm - was turning that ugly color Boomer was looking at now on Mitch. Brick was dying - Boomer remembers the gripping fear, the sheer force of pain that came with the thought.

They'd taken him back to base - Brick had told them never to do that - because once the bite kills them , they're going to Zombie and - and then -

Boomer shudders at the memory -

He also remembers that Brick wasn't dead - he _hadn't_ died. He was alive the next morning, and the bite had disappeared.

The boys couldn't explain it - Brick couldn't explain it and it had bothered him for a while until he learned to just accept the fact that he wasn't dead and thye didn't have to go on without him.

Brick hadn't died.

But Mitch will.

 _Why_?

"Carful Buttercup - hold him steady while I inject this." Professors' voice was firm and calm - Boomer wonders how he does that - as he carefully sticks something in Mitch's arm.

The boy convulses for a moment then goes still. Boomer sees the flash of despair on the older man's face for a brief second. Bubbles comes in from the other side, her arms full of things Boomer doesn't know what for, Blossom on her tail, her pretty face was scrunched up as if she was in deep though, on auto pilot as she navigated her way towards Professor.

Brick does that too - when he's thinking so hard.

"It - doesn't look good Professor - " Blossom says suddenly, she refuses to look at her green eyed sister who'd just thrown her a glare of death.

Professor shakes his head sadly. Bubbles turns away, Boomer sees the tears on her pretty face. He suddenly wants to reach out and hug her or - or _something_.

"He'll be turned by morning." Professor says, "If none of these work - "

Brick steps forward and clears his throat. They all turn to look at him. "If _what_ doesn't work?"

Blossom shots him a sharp look before glancing at Professor. The older man nods and turns back towards his desk. The red haired girl turns to them now.

"Professor has been trying to create a cure. For the past eight years, all these are - tests."

Boomer gapes at her, _a cure? For the undead?_

"That's the thing Boomer - we're not so sure - they - that they _are_ undead. If they die at all." Blossom answers his thoughts.

Had he said that out loud? _Oops_.

"Wait, wait, wait - you sayin' - are you saying we _don't_ die from this?" Butch asks suddenly, his eyes widen at that.

Boomers pretty sure his own face has gone white. Brick's lips tighten in a thin line - _they don't - die?_

"Then - then what is this?" Brick asks.

 _Have all their ten years of knowledge been incorrect this entire time?_

"A sickness - virus, disease - " Blossom answers.

 _The Zombies they've killed - aren't dead?_

"And you think, if this is true, you can fix it? All over the world?" Brick sounds skeptical.

 _They've been killing sick people?_

"That's the goal." She sounds so sure.

Boomer throws up.

Everyone reacts by either moveing away, screaming, or smacking him on the back. Butch's the one who smacked him.

"Boomer? You alright man?" Butch asks, voice a lot rougher than it should be.

Boomer hacks, dry heaves, his throat burns, his head is spinning and - and theirs a Zombifying person in this room - and - and - "Brick didn't get sick." He spits out suddenly, his voice burning his throat as he does.

The room - despite the throw up on the floor - freezes.

Like, Boomer can _feel_ time _stop_ for a full moment.

"What did you say?" Blossoms voice breaks the pause, a whisper - like she's afraid that if Boomer repeats the sentence - it won't be true.

"I said- " He straightens, shaking Butch off -Bricks face looks furrowed in concentration as he looks at Boomer hard. "Brick got bit a while back. He didn't get Zombified - he was ok the next morning."

Boomer sees the realization dawn on his older brothers' face, like the shadows cleared from it or something.

Buttercups on him - she grabs Boomers arms in a death like grip. "How - how - I swear you little twerp if you're lying - "

"Buttercup." Blossom says the name sharp, tight, no room for arguing. She then turns to Brick after Buttercup lets Boomer go. "I think you have some explaining to do."

"Nothing to explain." Brick says, calm now - as if he's thinking so hard he's trying not to let it show externally.

Blossoms' eyebrow twitches at him.

"I got bit, didn't die, bite was gone by morning. That's it."

Boomer watches in morbid fascination as Blossom comes forward and takes Bricks arm in her hands, she tugs his brother - weirdly gentle - to a stool and sits him down.

"Professor?" She says, her eyes training into Bricks so hard Boomer wonders how his brother hasn't flinched yet.

"Brick - can I - may we - have a bit of your blood, please?" Professor asks, his voice shaking a bit, Boomer sees the weird mixture of fear and hope in the man's eyes.

"Sure." Brick says.

 _That's_ when Boomer catches on.

They want to make a cure - Brick didn't get sick - Brick survived - nobody survives - why had Brick? That's when Boomer catches on.

 _Brick could have the cure._

* * *

 _Ta-daaaaah!_

 _Yay, hopefully this story will live up to the suspense I - Tried to - build._

 _Review, Fave - story and me ;) - hope to hear from you guys soon!_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N) Sorry about the delay. Updates will be s** **poradic, a lot of things are happening this year and it barely started.**

 **Take care everyone and stay safe.**

* * *

A heavy cloud of anxiety hangs over the entire Haven's people.

Boomer can hardly swallow from how thick it is. After the scavenging team had come back and Professor had found out about Brick, he'd gone frantic, taking a sample of Brick's blood and then studying it - it's late now, Boomer shudders when he remembers about what Butch said about the Zombies.

 _They're alive - they're - living_? Or were they always living . . . they were sick people.

Boomer doesn't want to think about this. He stops pacing, he's been pacing for hours - he lets out a shaky breath, neither of his brothers where here. He was alone, in the dim dark of their cabin - with his thoughts.

He decides maybe he should go find Brick now or something.

With a shaky breath he steps out of the cabin and winces at the sadness that smacks his emotional radar in the face. Everyone was milling around, dragging their feet, looking at each other in worry. Boomer dreaded going out there. But he does - he walks through the groups of whispering fearful people and teary eyed people and - and that Robin girl was bawling uncomfortably miserable into her friends shoulder and Boomer thinks maybe he should run back into his cabin and lock himself in there because this kind of sadness hurt too much for him to deal.

His feet don't listen and keep walking.

He ends up outside of the infirmary tent - _why here? Why? Seriously,_ of all the places he could have wandered to it had to be the very place where the source of all this sadness lay.

Boomer takes a slow peek between the heavy tarp covering the doorway.

Inside was lit by a faint glowing lamp. He briefly wonders how Professor got it to work, but then he sees Mitch - laid out on the cot, shuddering, sweating, skin graying, lips purpling - breathing shallow and - and he doesn't seem to have much longer to go.

Boomer feels his eyes sting, he doesn't know Mitch that well - but - but _still_...

"It's all my fault."

Boomer's breath hitches when he hears a quiet raspy voice that isn't in his head speak. He blinks the threatening tears away and catches sight of the short girl sitting on a crate hiding very well in the shadows of the tent.

 _Maybe I should go -_

"I'm sorry Mitch - I - I really am."

She sounds weak - and _small_. Boomer's surprised - he doesn't know her very well either but he knew enough to know - weakness doesn't suit her.

"If I had just - you know . . . then maybe you wouldn't- and I - come on Mitchelson - you don't have to die, don't - don't die on us. . . come on." Buttercup's voice cracks and Boomer feels her heavy sadness, it weighs on his own heart and he pulls his head out of the door way and closes his eyes against the sniffles he hears from the otherwise terrifying girl.

His fists clench as he tries to keep from bawling like a baby - he really shouldn't be this pathetic. Boomer wishes - he wishes that this doesn't have to happen, that this wasn't the world they lived in, that bad things like this weren't real. He wishes everything was fine, and clean, and good, and - and like that time that he could hardly remember back when he was barely five years old - back when everyone took their lives and their world for granted.

"It's not your fault B."

Boomer heart stutters as he startles at the familiar voice coming from inside the tent, he resists the urge to peak again for another moment.

"Buzz off - you don't know anything." The girls snaps back, tone harsh and breaking at the edges.

Boomer takes a glance inside, surprised his brother was even here _. What's Butch doing? Trying to make her feel better? That's weird._

"He was my friend too - "

" _Is_!" She snaps and stand, glaring up at Butch, "He _is_ our friend," her eyes narrow and Boomer can see her defiant stance as she seethes at his brothers face.

Butch for his part, and the parts Boomer can see that aren't covered by shadows, looks at her without flinching - _calm - and - what? Butch is calm?_ Since when was he even capable of doing _'calm'_?

Boomer swallows thickly. Why does it suddenly feel like he's miles away from his brother even though he's six feet in front of him?

" _Is_ our friend." Butch repeats in the flickering dark.

Buttercups fist clench, she looks ready to punch him - Boomer wonders if she will.

She struggles with something, her shoulders shake and suddenly, to the blond boy's horror, her fists unclench and she leans her forehead against Butch's shoulder.

"Shoot - " She cracks weakly. "I' - I'm pathetic. I - "Her words are cut off by a sudden series of tears and sobs. She seems more angry at the fact that she's crying at all then the reason she's actually crying.

"No you're not." Butch's arm wraps around the sad girl's shoulders and Boomer gapes at how - _nice_? - _Nice_ \- Butch was being so _nice_ it was freaking him out.

"You're the most kick butt girl in this whole Haven. He'll be ok, Mitch's a fighter. He'll be ok." Butch's words sound short and hollow - like he's saying them without hearing them.

But Buttercup doesn't seem to care as she just stands there, dejectedly leaning her head against Butch like she belongs there.

"Boomer?"

The blond boy gasps and nearly jumps three feet into the air but ands up losing strength in his knees and falls in surprise.

"Oh my - Don't _do_ that!" He whispers shakily, pounding his chest to make sure his heart hadn't jumped out.

Bubble's gives him a wide eyed curious look. "Sorry?"

He swallows, _yah -_ maybe he shouldn't be eavesdropping though -

"Um - Professor wants to see you."

Boomer looks at the cute girl in front of him nervously and stand up. "Me?" He asks, dusting his pants off.

She nods, sunshine hear bouncing around her delicate shoulders as she reaches for his hand and tugs him along behind her. "Your brother too."

"My - What?" He doesn't comprehend what she's saying, his eyes glued to her hand that's holding his, heart forgetting to beat normally.

"Something about the tests."

Boomer swallows. "Um - right, the - the tests. Right."

He misses the funny look she gives him. He misses a lot of looks around him actually until she lets go of his hand and gently pushes aside a tarp.

Boomer blinks at the more brightly lit tent.

"Um - Yes"?" He forgot why he's here.

Professor, Brick, and Blossom were standing around a weird glass bowl with something in it.

Brick looks up and Boomer doesn't understand the inquisitiveness in his eyes.

"What's going on?" Boomer asks slowly, he's not sure wants to know.

"I've just been studying Brick's blood sample." Professor starts off and takes of his - _what were they called again_? Boomer has the name - right on the tip of his tongue - _glasses_! _Glasses_ , Boomer doesn't know what they're for.

"And?" The blond boy is still unsure why he's here.

And where did Bubbles go?

"It's quite fascinating, I don't understand it completely but - but it seems he has some sort of antibodies in it that repeal the Zombie infection."

"Um - " Boomer blinks. _Seriously - why is he here?_

"He means I can't get Zombied." Brick says flatly and puts a hand on Boomers shoulder.

"That's -" Boomers eyes widen _, can't get Zombied - really? But - but - how? Why? And why were they so creepily calm about this!?_

"Booms - he wants to check your blood too - and Butch's."

Boomer startles, "Huh?"

 _Does that mean - but then all those years living in fear and - and what does that matter if everyone else can die and -_

"But . . . um - say it's the same, what does that mean for - for everyone else?" Boomer stutters out, his heart speeds up, is this a good thing _? Could this save people?_ He doesn't understand how this could work - he doesn't understand _anything_.

Not for the first time in his life does Boomer wish he was as smart as Brick.

"It means, if Professor can figure out how to separate the antibodies from your blood he might be able to - to make a cure." Blossom speaks up, now Boomer notices her hands are shaking.

"Oh." He says, eyes wide and blue and - hopeful. " _Oh_."

Brick nods. "Yah."

Boomer glances at the three people staring at him. "So - why are we telling me only?" He asks uncertainly.

"We don't want to get anyone's hopes up." Professor says, "Just in case." He looks away.

Boomer knows what the unfinished words of that sentence were. _'Just in case . . . it doesn't work.'_

"What about Mitch right now?" Boomer asks slowly.

"That is what I need to find out." Professor lifts up a tall syringe with a needle in it. He dips the tip into the bowl and fills it up with some strange purple red liquid.

"Sir?" Boomer looks nervously at him, Brick's hand squeezes his shoulder unconsciously.

"It might work." Professor says calmly, too calmly. Boomers heart is in his ears.

" _Might_?" His voice sounds brittle to his own ears.

Brick tugs him closer.

"Might." Professor's face is stoic as he looks at the liquid inside.

"Professor - " Blossom starts carefully, hands shaking in her skirt as she grasps it.

The tarps flies open. "Mitch's dying!" Bubbles gasps, tears streaming down her face, hair wild, breath ragged as if she'd run a mile.

Boomer's blood electrocutes him and Brick is all but dragging him out of the tent at the same time Professor explodes from his seat, Blossom right with him, her eyes bright and horrified as they all run in a mess of limbs and fear towards the screaming sounds.

Boomer vaguely thinks maybe they should be running _away_ from the screaming sounds?

Professor throws the tarp open, Boomer goes green as he takes in the sight of Buttercup and Butch holding a struggling Mitch down with all their might, the boy is totally grey flesh, eyes yellowing and cracking and bulging as he screams, the veins on his neck popping as he struggles against Butch's and Buttercups weight on him in their attempt to hold him down.

"Stop - stop Mitch, we - we don't wanna hurt you!" Buttercup screams over the boys blood curdling shrieks that make Boomer shudder uncontrollably.

Butch looks concentrated, face tight and grim as he pushes at Mitch's upper body with all his strength, which, considering it's Butch, was a lot.

Something cracks disgustingly in Mitch's shoulder. The screams sound like sandpaper and chalk on a black board.

"Professor!"

A crowd has gathered around outside, people shouting, asking what's wrong, friends shoving to get through, voices rising in desperate attempt to make everything stop, Boomer can't breathe, everything is spinning - he knew this would be bad but -

"We have to kill him - " Someone says desperately.

"No!" Buttercup shrieks.

"Wait - " Blossom shoves people back, "Professor we can't - we can't do this!"

Boomer see the man's face go ashen grey, he steps forward, needle ready -

"Professor!" Blossom sounds terrified as she grabs a sobbing Robin who's trying to get inside.

Mitch kicks Buttercup in the nose. The crack is sickening, she doesn't even cry as blood streams down her face and chin. Her eyes bright and Boomer swears she doesn't even have tears. "Do it - " She hisses viciously through grit teeth.

Brick surges forward to grab the other leg as Mitch thrashes with it.

Boomer's too stunned to move, too stunned to even realize Bubbles is bawling while clutching at his shirt and he's hugging her out of fear, as if that will somehow keep this morbid moment from being burned into his memory and haunting him forever.

"He might not survive." Professor says severely.

Mitch thrashes harder, no words coming out of his mouth just sounds and shrieks and growls and mindless garbles that sound like -

Boomer wants to throw up.

"Do it!" Buttercup screams.

Professor stabs the needle into Mitch's neck. The liquid drains.

Everyone freezes, collectively holding their breath, no one dares let any out.

The spring tightens, Mitch goes still mid scream, he wheezes a breath - his body convulses like a worm shriveling in the sun and then - he goes limp and silent.

Brick stand up, Butch does too - gingerly, as if afraid Mitch will suddenly shoot up and eat his face. Buttercup goes limp but stays on the floor, hugging the dying boy's leg.\, ignoring the drying blood on her face.

"Mitch?"

No one breathes.

All eyes strain on the unmoving body of young Mitch Mitchelson.

"Mitch?" Buttercup sounds broken as she shakes his leg pathetically. "You - you're okay now - you have to be okay now – Mitch - come on . . . please, please be okay." She's talking; her voice breaks and tears are running down her face. Smearing with the blood. Boomer doesn't think she notices as she weakly shakes her friends leg in some pathetic attempt to make him move.

Boomers throat constricts and he can't swallow, Bubbles buries her face in his shoulder and Brick shares a grim expression with Professor.

 _It didn't work - it - didn't work._

Blossom steps forward, releasing her friend, Robin falls to her knees and sobs, hugging herself in misery. Blossom places a gentle hand on her kneeling sister's shoulder, Buttercup doesn't move.

"We - we tried our best. This isn't your fault Buttercup - it's not." Her eyes look sad.

Buttercup doesn't snap or yell or even turn away. She sniffs and hugs her sister around her waist. Blossom sags tiredly and Boomer can see her blink back tears, turning her face into the unlit part of the tent as she pets her sister's hair.

Bubbles let's him go and falls into hugging Buttercup too.

The three girls cry together, as do everyone else, most disperse, unable to look at the still grey face of the young scavenger they've lost.

Professor puts a hand on Buttercup's head. "We have to set him to rest now Buttercup."

The dark haired girl nods through tears.

Boomers own face drips as he looks at his brothers - _it could have been one of them . . . it could have been one of them - it could have been_ . . . he lurches forward and moves in closer to Butch's sagging back, his brother was wider than he was, always so straight and crazy strong and tough and probably mentally unstable but - it could have been him.

The blond boy knows he can't get away with this any other time, but Butch looks way to vulnerable and sad right now, so Boomer offers him a small physical comfort by leaning his forehead against Butch's back, between his shoulder blades. The dark haired boy doesn't move are snap. He just sort of leans back against Boomer, arms crossed tightly over his chest, Boomer knows he's holding it together. Brick won't look at either of them, and Boomer tries to stop his tears and grabs a fist full of Butch's shirt, gritting his teeth.

He hasn't see death - not like this.

They've never seen a living person get infected -

A few men come in and lift the limp body into a white stretcher and take it out solemnly. The girls and a few stragglers following it despite the tears.

Boomer shudders, they've only ever fought against Zombies, killing them had seemed so easy but now - now Boomer's afraid.

"We should go." Brick says quietly to them. Boomer realizes even the Professor was leaving.

"Professor." Brick calls to the tall middle aged man.

He turns to them, his face suddenly so much older than it was five minutes ago. "Yes?" He says quietly, hand on the tarp.

Brick fidgets uncomfortably. Boomer sniffs, concerned about his brothers discomfort. Brick's rarely uncomfortable about things.

"I- I'm sorry it didn't work." The red haired boy says, his voice almost smaller than a whisper.

Professor gives him a small smile that doesn't reach his tired grey eyes. "It's not your fault Brick, it was too sudden, to uncertain - the risks were higher than the reward . . . I knew that - it's not your fault in the slightest. Thank you for helping though. Thank you." The man says, his voice sad but genuine, he gives them all a short nod and leaves them alone in the flickering lamp light with nothing but heavy silence weighing down on them like the shadows.

"Brick?"

"Hmm?"

"I - what about. . . What about the blood? Our blood?" Boomer can't help asking as Butch finally straightens and turns to look at him.

Bricks' shoulders sag. "There's still hope Boomer - we just didn't have enough time for," Brick swallows - "Mitch."

Boomer nods, he suddenly feels tired, so very tired - his limbs weigh a ton each and he just wants to lie down and not move until the world isn't so black anymore.

"C'mon - we should go." Brick instructs quietly.

They follow him out without another word.

But Boomer can feel the weight of tonight's events on Brick's shoulders, and the blond boy has never seen his brother so turned down.

* * *

"Poor kid."

"Yah - I really didn't think Mitchelson would go out like his old man, did you Al?"

"No -" Al looks genuinely sad as the kid they'd wrapped up stay limp and unmoving. Yet another life taken from them so young. He hated his job - they were in charge of burning the bodies . . . never bury - burying them allowed for - regrowth and . . . _Zombies_. Burning allowed for them to rest in peace . . . wherever that may be.

"C'mon Pledge, let's just - get this over with." Al coxes his friend to start the fire as he sets the stretcher down carefully and pulls out a little black book. This book was passed down from his great grandfather when the world was a better place. He wasn't sure what it was called anymore since the title had been worried away, but it had some comforting words for the dead. So he reads them over the bodies - just in case it actually helps.

He hums the words out and turns towards Pledge who has the fire going larger.

Al closes his eyes and gives a few more words before he and Pledge turn to get the body.

His blood turns to ice in his veins.

The body - it's gone.

Pledge lets out a scream and Al thinks he might faint.

Mitchelson stands there, hands gripping Pledge's shirt, eyes hollow and yellow.

He lets out a groan and Al screams this time as the body lungs for them.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n) Hello Everybody! Hope everyone isn't going stir crazy. Quarantine is kinda peaceful though. Hope everyone's doing well and are healthy. You know, with all this stay home stuff you'd think one would have more time to update right?**

 **Seriously... it's like I've become more busy inside my own house... who knew I had so many things to do. ;P**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, it's kind of cute in a depreasing sort of way.**

 **Motivation is your Superpower.**

 **Have fun!**

* * *

He can't sleep.

Every time he closes his eyes, Mitch's screams echo in his ears and his twisted greying face flashes in his brain and - and Boomer can't sleep. He tosses and turns and he doesn't know for how long he stays up until he's pretty sure it's almost sunrise.

He ends up staring up at the rusting metal beams over his cot in the dark. Butch snores in a corner, Brick is silent - could mean he's asleep or he's not.

Boomer doesn't want to find out. But he's exhausted - and not the kind that can be cured by sleeping. He throws off his scratchy covers and tip toes outside, maybe an open space will make him feel less suffocated in his anxiety and fear.

He takes in a deep smog filled breath and coughs it out. It's almost sunrise - he could barely tell but the clouds were greying from black which is usually a sign of that.

He sighs tiredly and rubs at his head of messy blond hair, probably making it look worse _. Who cares?_ He doesn't. Boomer just wants to find _one_ good thing to think about -other than the fact that his brothers are okay.

He lets his feet wander, hands in his sad hole-ridden pockets. There's a wind - acrid and stale but . . . it's still there.

He vaguely remembers when it used to be warm and smelled like - like - flowers. _Yah - Flowers_. Boomer wishes he could see flowers again. They were pretty and blurry in his memories. Vague shapes and color blurred together to form something that had been alive once. Like the trees.

And animals and - and people.

He swallows hair rustling over his forehead.

"Boomer?"

He almost shrieks like a girl but just manages to clamp it down with a sharp gasp that he chokes on as he spins around to see Bubbles. _Good grief - how does she keep sneaking up on him like this?_ He really needs to pay more attention to his surroundings. _Seriously_.

"I- I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to - " She gives him a sudden watery eyed look, eyes, the color of an almost fictitious sky, wobble behind clear tears, so does her bottom lip.

Boomer swallows his dryness down and reaches a hand for her. "Hey - hey what's wr- " _Stupid question._ "D - don't cry Bubbles." He says instead, awkwardly as she sniffles and buries her face in her hands, turning away from him.

Boomer suddenly feels stupid and uncomfortable and - _why can't he do this?_

"Bubbles?"

"I - I'm sorry." She says again, he doesn't know what she's sorry for - maybe it's not even directed at him anymore.

He stands there miserably, scratching his calf with the toe of his opposite foot. _Oh forget this._

He reaches forward and gingerly hugs her slowly. Terrified to death that she'll pull away or kill him maybe? _Nah - not her... her sister though_. He absently searches the area for Buttercup.

She's not here.

No one is here.

Bubbles turns into him easily, her fingers grip his shirt and Boomer wonders if it's possible to die from an over beating heart. _Also - can she hear it?_ Because . . . because he _hopes_ she can't -

 _Um - help?_

"It's okay Bubbles. Please stop crying. Please?" He's terrible at this, but he pats her back comfortingly anyway as she sniffs into his shirt and he's pretty sure more than tears are wetting it now.

"I'm sorry." She repeats again and again until she finally stops and Boomer thinks his muscles are so stiff he's not sure he'll be able to move ever again.

"Why are you out here?" She sniffs, pulling back a little to look at him with wide water rimmed eyes.

"Um - couldn't sleep because - "His mind flashes the unpleasant pictures again. "Well, you know."

She nods, completely understanding. "Me too."

It makes him feel a little special.

Until he realizes they're starting at each other in a close proximity that is incredibly silent and utterly awkward and - he's frozen. He doesn't know what to say. _What to do? Move away? Let her go? No - what if she thinks he's rude, or - or mean or starts crying again or -_

"Come with me for a minute." She says quietly, face lightly pink as she takes his hand and pulls him towards the Haven's inner walls.

Boomer decides, smartly, to keep his mouth shut lest he say something to make everything even more awkward than he already thinks it is.

Bubbles leads him around the wall towards a spot where crates and equipment and odds n' ends are stacked up relatively high. Boomer wonders what she wants here. Until the pretty girl reaches up and hoists herself on top of the first layer of crates.

"Um - Bubbles?"

She turns and smiles at him, he's not going to lie - that smile literally melts him into an unexplainable pile of goo. "C'mon Boomer - before it's over."

"Before _what's_ over?" He reaches up and follows her climbing pattern anyway. _Why are they scaling the wall? The nice, large, sturdy wall that was keeping them safe?_

"Hurry." She urges and sits at the top easily, bending over and reaching for his hand which he gives her for a little extra help. He climbs and sits next to her, blowing a breath out that makes his bangs flutter up.

"What's- " He stops.

Below them was nothing but broken buildings and cracked sidewalks and bare patches of waste but it was further down - they were so high up - almost like inside a bowl, high enough to reach above the first thin layer of smog to see -

 _The sun?_

The clouds and smog were greying from black, and the dim flickers of color were peeking between and around. Boomer's never really looked at it to just look before. The grey was outlined by piercing red lines as the orb slowly steadily made its way up from it's nightly hiding spot.

Some white rays beamed through and made the gloomy smog glitter almost silver under it's brightness.

"Wow." He whispers, blue eyes nearly opaque as the light and greyness swirled in them.

"You know - for all the bad things that have happened to so many we love - the one thing that never fails on this earth - the sun comes up." Bubbles says gently next to him, her eyes stuck on the view in front of them. "The sun _always_ comes up - and I think - I think that's what we should be like. We have to go down too - but we should always, _always,_ come back up."

Boomer nods silently. His heart feels steady now as he lets his legs swing over the dangerous edge of the wall. He feels something soft on top of his hands and he looks down to find Bubbles' hand resting on his, he glances up at her and she gives him her smile only smaller but just as warm and maybe as shy as he was.

Boomer smiles back. "Thanks Bubbles - thanks for showing me this."

She nods, "Just remember - be like the sun."

 _Or like you_ \- but he doesn't say that out loud as she turns her eyes back to the sky. He does too and smiles at it - maybe things don't have to be so bad all the time.

* * *

He doesn't know how long they stayed up there but it was longer than it took for the sun to rise.

 _Maybe too long._

Because as they climb down the debris together a loud deafening siren startles Bubbles into losing her footing just as Boomer gets to the bottom. She squeaks and he gasps, instantly opening his arms right before she lands in them. He locks them around her automatically and they both gape at the running people, some half dresses, some in the middle of their morning routines, all with wide terrified frantic looks on their faces as they all run towards the middle of the Haven.

"What's - "

Bubbles gasps - "Something's wrong!" She scrambles out of his grip and runs towards the others Boomer follows close behind.

"Excuse me, sorry - pardon - excuse me - " Bubbles squeaks around people as they nudge their way to the center.

Professor is standing there with a tight circle of men, all carrying heavy weapons in their hands, pointed at whatever was wrong. Boomer heart freezes at the familiar mop of brown hair that is attached to the hanging head of the heaving body on the ground.

"What the - " Butch's rough hand scares Boomer into almost squeaking when he drops it heavily on the blond boys unsuspecting shoulder _. Seriously - get a grip Boomer,_ he mutters so himself.

"What's happening?" Butch asks, voice rough and crackly, because his throat is obviously dry, hair a thick mess and eyes a hard green as they narrow at the body in front to Professor. Everyone whispers around.

"Shoot it!" Someone panics, others agree,.

"Wait!" Buttercups voice breaks the unsettled buzzing as she elbows her way through the crowd. "Professor - wait!"

Boomer colors at the girls very minimal state of dress, her hair looks awful and as crazy as she was, her clothes consisted of a huge white shirt that reaches above her knees _\- that's it._

Boomer thinks maybe she forgot the rest of them in a hurry.

The girl doesn't seem to care about her lack of covering or the gawking people as she walks towards the surrounded body.

She walks slower, feet taking agonizingly slow steps as if she approaching something dangerous - _which she probably was!_

 _Don't, don't, don't_ \- Boomer repeats in his head in time with his exploding heart.

The girl pushes a gun away and crouches down. "M - mitch?"

Boomer stops breathing.

So do everyone else.

The body rasps and stretches out, suddenly, reaching for Buttercup, then it lifts its head and hisses viciously, gaudy yellow eyes almost glowing unsettlingly.

It swipes at her. Buttercup dodges, snatches the wrist and deftly flips it over, twisting the arm behind its back as it groans.

Everyone gasps.

Boomer swallows thickly, Butch's grip on his shoulder is so tight he thinks he might break his the bone.

"Professor! Professor it's Mitch - " Buttercup gasps in disbelief and almost tears up as the boy struggles under her, howling incoherent words and sounds and -

Boomer doesn't think its Mitch.

"It's a Zombie!" Someone shouts.

"Kill It!"

"No!" Robin gasps as she falls through the crowd, "No - Buttercup look - his skin is - it's –"

Boomer looks harder.

"Normal - " Professor says in awe - "But that's impossible - " He mutters more to himself than anything.

Everyone starts muttering to themselves in confusion.

"Did the cure work?"

"Is he really not dead?"

"This has to be a lie - "

"What's happening?"

Boomer's head is spinning.

Mitch groans pathetically from his face plant in the hard dusty ground.

"Quickly - " Professor snaps out of his stunned phase first. "Subdue the boy - we need to figure out what's happened - "

The crowd backs away as the more trained members of the Haven start to restrain the limbs of this - Mitch?

Robin's crying, Bubbles rushes to her side and hugs her, tears streaming down her own face, Buttercup looks utterly confused and sort of like someone punched her in the head. Butch's grip is gone and Boomer realizes that the weight of his brothers hand was what was holding him down and steady - now he feels as if he's going to float away with his head.

"Butter - " Butch starts and never finishes when the girl launches herself at him and clings to him like he's some kind of tree, burying her face in his shoulder. Hiding her actual expression.

Boomer blinks, nobody seems to notice this display of - something - all too busy in a whirlwind of people and ropes and Mitch screaming and the fact that his eyes are still a sickly yellow and - Boomer doesn't know what their thinking really.

He glances back over to his brother and Buttercup. Butch is busy waddling away from prying eyes - Boomer thinks the girl is crying. His heart is still in his ears, he turns around and around - utterly confused -

"What happened to Al and Pledge then?"

Boomer gasps - _gosh_ \- this is the third time today and it's not even the afternoon yet!

"Um - Hi Blossom?" Boomer gives the perfectly prim red head a curious look - her hair was perfect - but she was still in her sleeping clothes.

"Hello" She replies, unruffled by his startled expression, "- did Al and Pledge come through too?" She asks him, eyes searching the moving mob.

"Didn't see them." Brick's tone is stiff when he comes up behind Boomer who wishes he could just die from how many times people are scaring him today, he must be edgy from last night.

Blossom's pretty face puckers into a thoughtful frown as she casts a worried look towards the gates. "I think I need to speak to Professor." With that stated, she whirls around, her red hair like fire, and heads towards the infirmary lab tent place.

"Boomer?"

"Yah?" Boomer looks at his red eyed brother.

"Didn't sleep huh?"

The question was concerned and caught Boomer off guard. "No, not really." _But that's not important._ "How is Mitch alive and - not so Zombified?" He asks, not really expecting an answer.

Brick shakes his head. "This needs to be studied further to find out - but I suspect this is the effect of my blood and - whatever the Professor did. Not perfect but- "

Boomers heart skips a beat - his dark blue eyes widen as he stares at his oldest Brother. "You mean - "

Brick nods, lips tightening into a grim line. "We may be heading in a good direction for finding a cure."

An startled scream rips from the infirmary tent behind them.

* * *

 **Sorry for the cliff . . . I wasn't sure where to end this one.**

 **Excuse me now - I have to go clean out my freezer ;)**


End file.
